


Along the Lines of Fate

by rscrapave



Series: Wonder [4]
Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Bella Swan with a Backbone, Dialogue Heavy, Edward Cullen Being An Asshole, F/F, Fix-It, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, In some chapters, Post-Canon, RC Cullen, Rosalie Hale is a mama bear basically, this is not as dark as it seems i promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:33:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29461323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rscrapave/pseuds/rscrapave
Summary: It's not fair.It's not fair that she's hurting and there's so much I can do to help. It's not fair that it's still happening and I can't really do much about it. It's not fair at all.
Relationships: Renesmee Cullen & Bella Swan, Renesmee Cullen & Rosalie Hale, Renesmee Cullen/Original Female Character, Rosalie Hale & Bella Swan
Series: Wonder [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2142036
Comments: 17
Kudos: 34





	1. The Complications It Brings

**Author's Note:**

> Let's have at it one more time!
> 
> Like I said, it's not at dark as it seems. I just feel like I need to put a warning in this one for alcohol and drug use. They are not exactly underage, because, you know, they're in college, but not exactly 21, you know what I mean? I wouldn't now how college thing works in America, seriously. But yeah, they alcohol and drug use aren't that detailed.
> 
> Oh, and I don't own Twilight. Only the characters I created for this story.

Of course RC Cullen knew what a party was. Unlike her family members that didn’t understand the joy and entertainment from today’s pop culture, RC loved it. She would binge watch films and TV series about anything and everything. The fact that she didn’t really need sleep really allowed her to just sit down in front of the TV the entire night. It was where she learned about how kids _lived_. While her family had been trying—and failing, for the most part—to live and be like teenagers from whatever time they were in, they didn’t really engage into that kind of life.

They had parties before, but usually it was just them, with their cousins from Denali every now and then. The last time her Aunt Alice threw a party, where people outside of their family were invited, was after Bella’s graduation, about two or three months before RC was even born. So, yeah, RC knew what a party was supposed to look like, but it was a rare occasion that she went to one. 

She remembered the last time. It was a welcome party in her dorms building, and RC met her best friend there. After that, she never really went into another one. Not because she didn’t get invites, because Rory _always_ asked her to come with her. Always. Usually it was to some parties that Rory’s friends threw. In that moment RC started to realize where Rory was her best friend, her only friend, Rory could not be hers. Because clearly, Rory had a whole bunch of others besides RC.

RC tried to find other friends, but it always fell to ‘we are friends because we have the same class together but we don’t actually know each other’ sort of thing. It sucked, but her family was somewhat relieved and she started to understand why they preferred to keep to themselves rather than to be in a position where RC was in.

It was the last week of October when she was walking across campus with Rory, their arms linked. The air was cool outside and maybe it was for that exact reason that Rory was willing to put on her jacket properly. Usually she didn’t want to, because she said that being in close proximity to RC was enough to get extra heat. If only RC could tell her the reason why that was possible. 

“So, there will be this Halloween party, just outside of campus. I was thinking about going.”

A frown formed on RC’s face. She knew her friend liked to hang out, but the amount of things that came wrong after Rory got back was getting concerning. “Another one?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“Rory, do you really think that I wouldn’t know about how you came back to your dorm drunk almost every night?” 

She felt Rory tensed up beside her as her heart started to beat faster. It was quiet for a while, before Rory said softly, “Laurel told you, didn’t she?”

“She’s worried,” RC answered. “To be honest, so am I. How long has it been, a month?”

“Three weeks, three days.” Rory shoved her hands to her pockets, making RC’s arms around hers pressed tighter between the two of them. “I don’t want to think about it.” 

RC tried to not force her friend to talk, to let Rory tell whatever it was that had been weighing her down at her own time. It was what Rory had been doing from the start of the year. Surely, RC could try to at least do the same. But she also could see how Rory covered up her pain with humor and drinks. How she thought her last happy memories with her uncle were at the end of the laugh or at the bottom of her cheap plastic cups. 

“If you go, will you promise me that you will not drink? At least not as much as you usually do, I don’t want you drunk.”

“I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep,” Rory said under her breath. “But I’ll try, okay? Now, come on. I need my caffeine fix as soon as possible.” She quickened her pace, dragging RC across campus to get to the only decent coffee shop in this part of the country. It wasn’t hard to figure out that nothing could stand in the way between Rory and her caffeine fix.

By her second cup of latte, Rory still wouldn’t talk to RC about anything. Well, they talked about something, but not the important ones that were clearly crushing Rory under its weight. It was like that for the next few days, Rory being dismissive and somewhat blasé about what happened to her. But, she heard from Laurel that Rory hadn’t been coming back drunk like usual. That was a good sign at least. 

A part of her was worried that Rory would take that Halloween party as a release mechanism, a chance to get black out drunk so she wouldn’t have to think about anything. A part of her doesn’t want Rory to go, but that would mean taking her choices away. She knew better than that. Rosalie taught her better than that. 

That was why RC decided to go with Rory to that party. The urge to make sure her friend would come back alright far surpass her dislike of being in the middle of sweaty college kids, dancing around to music with deafening bass. 

And of course, her aunt Alice was already in her dorm when she came back after her class. There were a few garment bags laying across her twin XL bed. Not a second later, her door opened and Rosalie came in, a familiar hair and makeup bag in hand. 

There wasn’t a vanity in her dorm room, so Alice and Rosalie installed a mirror behind her desk a few days after she moved in. It was a good hack, so RC didn't complain. She sat patiently as Alice put on makeup on her face and Rosalie did her hair. Her mom came in not long after, taking a place on her bed since Alice didn't trust her with a makeup brush. 

When Alice didn't tell her to close her eyes, RC noticed the not so subtle glances that Bella kept throwing to Rosalie from the mirror. At first, she thought she was having some eye trouble, or something else entirely, but it happened again a few times after that.

_Okay, what’s going on?_

“So, RC, why do you suddenly want to go to this party anyway? It’s not like you,” Alice asked her.

“It’s about Veronica, isn’t it, Lily?” Rosalie prompted. “You said she hasn’t been the same since she got back from home.”

RC nodded slightly, afraid that she would ruin her aunts’ work. “I just want to make sure she will be okay.”

“She lost someone close to her, so it’s probably going to take a while until she feels okay again.” Bella shrugged on the bed when RC gave her a look from the mirror. “It’s different for everybody. There will be days where it’s hard, some where the pain isn’t as agonizing. The best you can do for her is just to be there. Veronica surrounds herself with people, but I have no doubts that it’s you who she’s willing to bear her soul to.”

RC caught Rosalie staring at her as she played with the strands of hair that kept falling to her face. The corners of Rosalie’s lips curled up into an adoring smile. RC’s started to tilt her head to one side before Rosalie caught her chin to stop her. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” 

“I’m just thinking, Lily,” Rosalie answered as she started to gently rub RC’s cheek. "You care about Veronica."

One of RC's eyebrows raised. "Of course I do, she's my friend. Rory lets me be me, on my own terms. She’s supportive of my decisions. I mean, she doesn’t force me to say or do anything. Rory knows there’s something more to me than meets the eyes and she trusts me to tell her about it on my time.”

Three pairs of golden eyes stared at her, in amusement, affection, and something… melancholy. Was it something she said? But what was wrong with acknowledging the fact that there are other people outside her family that RC cared deeply about?

“You should get going. Wouldn’t want to keep your _friend_ waiting," Alice said, ushering her from the desk.

Bella got up from the bed and gave her a sling bag. “Your pepper spray is inside.”

That got her to arch an eyebrow in confusion. RC never really understood her mom’s obsession with pepper spray. Okay, so maybe obsession wasn’t the right word for it, but still. They were supernaturals with basically bulletproof skin, enhanced strength, speed, and senses. Every single one of them was capable of throwing a grown man across the room with one hand without breaking a sweat, and yet, Bella still wanted her to carry around a can of pepper spray at all cost. 

“Humor me, okay? Charlie did this to me too, so I have to pay it forward. It’s a rite of passage, Ren.”

Exhaling a deep breath, RC took the bag from her mom. Rosalie was standing near the door with her jacket, before helping her to put it on. They always did this, pampered her, and a little part of her felt guilty for liking it. The larger part loved every second of it. The three vampires lingered by the door when RC walked down towards the stairs to Rory’s room. She could still feel their gazes once she disappeared around the corner. 

Rory’s room was just one floor above hers, so it didn’t take long for RC to reach her friend’s door. She didn’t tell Rory that she was coming and completely hoping that she’d get to Rory before she left. It was safe to say that RC was cutting it close.

The door swung open before RC got a chance to knock and without her fast reflexes to move, Rory would run (not so) straight into her. Rory was wearing all black—shirt, jacket, pants, boots, and even fingerless gloves. She had a bluetooth headset on her right ear, covered by her hair, and there was a holster around both of her thighs. 

“Fancy seeing you here,” Rory said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “You’re coming with me?”

“Uh…” RC looked down at the outfit her aunts put together for her. “I’m not sure what I’m wearing matches the dress code.”

“What you’re wearing is fine, you look gorgeous. And the dress code just says ‘costume’ without further explanation, so we can just say that you’re a spy, going undercover as a rockstar.”

RC could feel her cheek getting warmer, especially after hearing her friend complimenting her. It was a different feeling, when it wasn’t your family doing it. She didn’t expect that. What did people say to respond to a situation like that? What should she say?

The smile in Rory’s face faltered slightly when RC struggled to come up with words. “Or, if you want, I have some fangs and fake blood. We can turn you into a vampire. A modern one, so you don’t have to change clothes.”

_Oh, Rory, if only you realize how on track you actually are._

“That’s a great idea actually.”

A half-crooked smile formed on Rory’s face before she let RC into her room. It was the first time she set foot in there. While RC got a single room, Rory had a double, but even RC knew that her friend made several adjustments to the room. The most obvious one was that Rory turned the two separate beds into a bunk bed and placed it right in the middle. The bottom bunk had its right side covered by a curtain while the top had it on the left side, creating a barrier and privacy between two sides of the room. Of course Rory would do something like that. 

Rory had the top bunk, so RC couldn’t sit on her bed without having her feet dangling four feet above the ground. It wasn’t hard to put on the fake fangs and to her surprise, they were comfortable, unlike the previous ones she wore for a goof.

“The vampire rockstar and her secret agent,” Rory said as both of them stood side by side in front of the full length mirror in the corner. “We don’t exactly match but we look pretty good together.”

RC didn’t get a chance to process her friend’s choice of words before she got dragged away. The party was supposed to be in an off-campus building owned by one of the departments. It wasn’t supposed to be far, but Rory insisted on driving the car, a blazing red Mazda that she said was sent from Brooklyn the week before. 

_Of course her car will be a red crossover._

“I know you don’t really like being at parties, so I just want you to know that I’m really glad you’re here.” 

“It’s the least I can do. My mo—” 

RC bit her tongue on the last second and covered it with a cough. _Stupid_. She glanced over to the driver side. If Rory was suspicious about RC almost slipping up, she didn’t show it.

“Bella said you might be lonely,” RC continued. “You have a lot of people around you but it’s just a way to cover the fact that you don’t want to process your… trauma.”

Rory’s face was blank as she kept driving and RC was more concerned for her friend’s lack of response than the fact that Rory could cause an accident from being distracted.

“When I’m around people, I don’t have to think. My mind is dangerous when I’m alone.”

“You don’t have to.” She didn’t know what else to say and hoped that short four words were enough. 

Not fifteen minutes after Rory started the car, she parked it on the side of the road. RC could see the building with colorful spotlights coming out of it, along with some music she didn’t recognize. Instinctively, she linked arms with Rory as they both entered the building. 

Most of the campus student body was probably under that roof. RC could see some people from her classes, and Rory’s usual group of friends had been trying to steal her for a dance. Rory said no every time, with her oh so wonderful smile.

It wasn’t long until she started to feel that someone was watching her. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, she _knew_ someone was there, but every time she turned, no one was there. Well, everyone was there, but no one out of the ordinary. 

“Hey, are you okay?”

She turned to see Rory, seeing the smile disappeared as Rory looked at every part of RC’s face. 

“I’m fine,” she lied. One of the easiest lies she had ever told, but unlike the other times she did it, Rory didn’t look convinced. “I’m going to find the bathroom. Go hang out with your friends, I’ll come find you later.” 

Rory didn’t seem sure, one of her eyebrows arched in uncertainty. She shook her head lightly before saying, “Okay. Come get me anytime?”

She nodded in answer as she watched Rory’s disappearing figure among dancing college kids. It didn’t miss her eyes when Rory didn’t take a glass of whatever it was in those cups when her friends offered. Her friend laughed at something they said and when their eyes met, Rory’s smile got bigger, if that was even possible. RC smiled back before leaving the crowded room.

Just outside, behind the building and overlooking the forest, away from the main street, RC _sensed_ it again. A scent reached her nose before she felt a faint chill breeze that wasn’t from the wind.

“So, that’s the eminent Veronica you won’t shut up about.”

Gold stared back at her when she turned around. Rosalie was standing near the exit door, a smirk was on full display. Her fiery golden eyes sparkled. 

“Now,” Rosalie said, stepping closer. “Will you tell me what’s actually going on between you two?”

Her brows furrowed together. “Hold on, I’m confused. What?”

“Lily, you know I believe you when you told us you made a friend. The way to talk to me about her, there’s something more in there. After I see the two of you tonight, it just confirmed my initial thought.”

RC raised an eyebrow and said, “That I care about my friend? Brilliant deduction, Rosalie. You know, I expect this from mom, but not you.” 

What was up with people? Suddenly everyone in her family suspected her of something. RC didn’t even know what she did. Yeah, she almost slipped up when talking to Rory, but other than that, she managed to keep her family’s secret, well, a secret.

“I meant more than a friend.” Rosalie’s voice echoed in her mind. 

_More. More than a friend_.

Her mind went back to the start.

To the moment when Rory first talked to her and actually _listened_ , when Rory let her open up more at her own pace and didn’t judge her for it. When Rory respected her privacy, about her personal life and her family, which was all the damn time. Rory somehow managed to be gracious and courteous while still letting RC be herself that was away from the family she grew up into. 

“Yeah, I’m not doing this right now.” RC shook her head, passing her aunt Rosalie to get back inside. “Feel free to hang around, I guess. People have to know that I really do have another sister.”

Bella and Alice were dancing on the floor when she got back in. It was weird, to say the least, to see her mom dance. Bella was never one to dance in the first place, or go to parties—back when she was still human or after she was turned. Safe to say that RC inherited the latter. 

She walked further into the room and found Rory leaning on a wall, two cans of soda in her hands. 

“You’re not drinking,” RC said after taking a can offered to her.

“Well, I am drinking…” she held the can in front of her face. “Grape soda. It’s not cheap vodka but it will do. I did promise you, didn’t I?”

They both stood side to side while watching the other kids danced and laughed and got stupid drunk. Rosalie was among those kids, hand in hand with Alice and Bella. In that moment, RC could finally see the three of them as the teenager their bodies stuck in. Just three college kids, having a blast without a care in the world. 

“Hey, can I ask you something? About your sister? Feel free to shut me up anytime.”

“Which one?” RC pointed to Rosalie, Bella, and Alice on the dance floor. “Since my brother got married, I have three now.”

“Bella.” Rory took one large sip of her soda, as if she was chugging down some liquid courage. “She’s dating Edward? The boyfriend that you don’t particularly like?”

A loud laugh escaped her before she could help it. "Sorry, I'm sorry. It's just that, me not liking Edward is like an understatement of the year. Please, carry on."

"Are you sure?"

"About my clear dislike of my sister’s boyfriend being an understatement?"

"No, I mean like the fact that it's Edward that your sister is dating. Because, well, look." Rory nudged her shoulder as she pointed to Bella on the dance floor with Rosalie. Alice was nowhere to be found. As she kept her eyes on them, RC noticed that her mom wasn't so stiff and awkward anymore. Every vampire aspect that she got after turning only could help so much, but right then and there, RC had a hard time believing what she was seeing.

“They’re dancing.”

“Oh my god.” Rory chuckled, shaking her head. “You’re so pure and innocent.” She pat RC’s cheek lightly. The cool feeling from holding the cold soda seeped through her skin and she welcomed it. 

“What? I don’t get it.”

Rory thinned her lips together, trying to hold in a smile. “Bella and Rosalie got chemistry, dude. And they look good together.”

RC’s gaze moved back and forth from her friend to Bella and Rosalie across the room. Was that chemistry Rory talked about always there? What did that mean for Rosalie and Emmett, or no matter how annoying the thought was, Bella and Edward? When she really thought about it, Bella seemed more comfortable when she was with RC and Rosalie. The two women practically raised her together, while her dad was nowhere to be seen. Edward was there of course, but never really did much.

“Is that too weird? Because you guys are siblings. Adopted, yeah, but still and you all basically live together.” Rory ran her hand through hair, before rubbing the back of her neck. A thing that she did when she didn’t know what to say. “You know what? Forget I say anything.”

“No, no, wait, hold on. I was just connecting some dots,” RC said before shifting her gaze back to Bella and Rosalie. Both women were staring right back at her, suddenly a whole lot closer than they were before.

_Shit. They could hear us. Did they hear us?_

“Hey. I saw a foosball table back there. You want to play with me?”

RC was taken aback from how quickly Rory could change a conversation. She blinked a few times before managing to let out, “Sure.”

She let Rory drag her away to the other side of the building, a little more quiet area with an empty foosball table in the middle of it.

“I saw them looking at you like they want to throw you across the Atlantic or something,” Rory said. “I thought I’ll be your knight in shining armor.”

“But I thought you’re a secret agent?”

“Well, I can be your knight in CIA standard body armor,” Rory retorted back. “So, are you ready to get your ass kicked?”

“Oh, please. We got one of these in the house for Emmett and he’s the best. It’s you who’s going to get their ass kicked.”

“Dude, you’re on.”

* * *

That game of foosball turned from a friendly match to a competitive world cup. While RC proved to be a really good player, Rory also didn’t back down easy. People started to surround the two of them as the game went on, cheering and laughing. She even saw someone place some bets, but the movement was too secretive for just some harmless gamble.

RC didn’t get much time to think about it, because Rory took advantage of her trance to score yet another goal. The room exploded in thunderous roar and RC had to fight off a wince from the damage that it’s probably causing to her hearing. Still high in adrenaline, Rory gulped down another can of soda in one go before taking a cup from one of her friends. 

When she got to her friend, Rory was already holding an empty cup. Some guy was refilling it with a bottle of Coke, but Rory kept laughing and making more drink spilled out. 

“Congratulations.”

Rory threw her arms around RC’s neck triumphantly. “Hell yeah!” she said before taking another sip.

They hung around the foosball table for a few more minutes, watching some blond guy in Rory’s group of friends battle it out with another cocky upperclassmen. Somewhere when the game was still on, Rory got her and RC another can of grape soda. Her friend was really giving an effort to keep her promise. 

If only everyone was like that.

She wasn’t sure how long had passed, but it couldn’t be more than fifteen minutes, when RC noticed something going on with Rory. The other girl seemed out of it, her arm was draped over RC shoulders, unmoving. Her grey eyes were glazed as though she was thinking a billion things at one time. 

“Rory?”

Rory didn’t answer, didn’t move. She blinked slowly, staring at nothing.

“Hey, Rory?” She took Rory’s jaws in her hand so they were face to face. In that close proximity, RC couldn’t smell anything out of the ordinary. Just some grape and Rory’s perfume. 

“Mm f-fine, fine.”

And there was definitely something wrong. 

Rory didn’t drink an ounce of alcohol that night, but her speech was slurring as if all the soda and water she drank was cheap beer and vodka instead. Her hands started to shake lightly and her whole body became more and more dependent on RC. 

“No, you’re not. I’m getting you back home. Maybe the hospital is a better idea?”

RC didn’t wait for an answer before half-dragged her friend out of the room. Technically, she could just carry Rory with one hand that easily, but that would attract too much attention. Rory’s steps were uncoordinated as they were leaving the party and RC had to wrap her arms around Rory’s waist and lift the girl slightly so they could move.

“Hey, you’re leaving?”

Esme would definitely scold her if she ever found out about the words that came out of RC’s mouth in that moment. When she turned around, there was a guy that RC had seen hanging around with Rory’s group. She didn’t know his name, but she never particularly liked him. 

“Come on, stay a little longer.” The guy was smiling brightly. If she didn’t know better, she’d say that he was charming. 

“She doesn’t feel good.”

“Noo, no. I am’s good,” Rory said, or tried to, at least and RC never wanted to shut her up more.

“See?” The guy said. “Veronica said she’s good. Come on, Sweetheart. We’re all friends here, aren’t we?”

“No, we’re not actually,” RC said without missing a beat. The urge to break his neck was getting harder and harder to suppress. 

The smile in his face dropped instantly and quickly was replaced by anger and frustration. “Now, don’t be like that.” 

He walked closer. Too close.

“No, thank you.”

He was within an arm reach and everything went down in slow motion. RC saw his hand outstretched and she moved to the side, effectively dodging him. With the arm that wasn’t holding Rory’s waist, she moved to hit the side of his temple with her palm, careful not to give too much strength to it. He deserved so much more, but extensive damage meant an emergency trip to the hospital. And that was just a mess she had no desire to clean up.

As he was stumbling back, RC kicked the side of his knee, knocking him over. He screamed when RC’s foot hit his leg, and yelped again as his body hit the ground. RC knew several people were staring at her, at that guy on the floor. Not wanting any more attention, she ran off as fast as possible while still looking like she had trouble dragging her nearly unconscious friend.

Just outside, she saw Bella, Rosalie, and Alice in the shadow. Their expressions were hard to read, or maybe because RC was scared—for her friend, of what her family would think. 

“I don’t know what to do,” she finally said. Her heart was always beat faster than average, but that night, it went haywire. 

“Let’s get her to the car,” Rosalie said, already by her niece’s side.

“She drove here.” RC’s voice shook and didn’t sound like her own. 

“Rose, I can take the Audi,” Bella said. “You take Veronica’s car back to the house.”

RC frowned. “Why aren’t we taking her to the hospital?”

“They’ll ask questions about what happened to your friend,” Alice started to explain. “And they will call the cops once they find out about the underage drinking and half a dozen illegal things happened in there. They can come knocking at our door, RC.”

“Oh, yeah, o-okay.”

She didn’t fight it when Rosalie started to take Rory from her, carrying her friend with ease. RC led them to RC’s car, a literal beacon in the dark. The red paint seemed to be glowing under the night sky, or the lights from the buildings, she wasn’t sure. 

Once they both got Rory laying down in the back seat, Rosalie punched the gas. The tires squeaked against the asphalt as her aunt maneuvered in the deserted road. RC wasn’t sure why, but she was still holding Rory’s can of soda. It was still heavy, Rory couldn’t drink more than a few large sips. 

“What happened there, Little Lily?”

_Yeah, what happened exactly?_

“We were just playing foosball. Rory didn’t drink any alcohol, we just had a few cans of Coke and grape soda, occasionally some ice water. I don’t know what happened but she suddenly went unresponsive.” RC took a glance from the rearview mirror, seeing her struggling to keep her eyes open. “As I carried her out, this guy showed up, telling us to stay.”

In the driver seat, Rosalie’s body went rigid. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened as a growl escaped deep from her chest.

“He called me ‘sweetheart’.” RC shuddered at the memory and she heard another growl from her aunt. “He was getting creepy and menacing, so I hit him in his pressure points like you taught me.”

“Good girl,” Rosalie praised, the corner of her lips curled up slightly, but her grip hadn’t loosen. 

RC let out a few quivering breaths when she finally realized the situation she almost stuck in. The same one that cost her Aunt Rosalie her life. And that made her want to cry. In relief or in frustration, RC didn’t know. Her eyes were getting hotter, starting to burn, and everything was getting warmer. 

What would have happened to Rory if RC decided not to go that night? Or if she decided to not come back in after her talk with Rosalie? RC knew something was wrong in her gut, but she ignored that and _this_ happened to her friend? What if her mom and aunts already left by the time she got Rory out? She couldn’t even drive. 

It wasn’t _fair_. 

That guy deserved something a lot worse than a headache and a sprained knee. RC didn’t need her father’s telepathy to know what he intended to do to RC and Rory. It was clear, written on his face, his body language, everything about him. 

She was lucky, they both were. RC was lucky that her subconscious knew what to do before she could process what was happening. She saved Rory that way. But how many times that people didn’t get the chance to escape without a scratch?

“Hey, she’s going to be okay, Little Lily.” Rosalie’s cold fingers were on RC’s cheeks, wiping away some tears she didn’t realize had fallen. “It’s going to be okay.”

“You weren’t.”

Rosalie’s hand fell to RC’s lap and the girl played with the rings there. 

“I wasn’t,” Rosalie repeated. “Sometimes I still don’t feel okay.”

“I feel stupid for crying.”

“Now, now, listen to me and listen well,” Rosalie said. “You have every right to be upset, Lily. It’s fine. I didn’t cry, after, but I was angry. I have been angry for a long time. Everyone has their own way to deal with what happened to them, Lily. Don’t feel stupid if you need to cry now.”

So, that was exactly what she did. RC cried, in the passenger seat of her friend’s car while her aunt drove them back home. She was grateful for Rosalie of course, because she taught her how to defend herself, defend her friend. But there was a part of her that hated the idea that such things _still happen_ to this day. Ninety something years after what happened to her aunt. 

RC was pissed and she was angry. It wasn’t fair, to her, to Rory, to Rosalie, to everyone else.

But what could she do, because she realized these types of things were still happening. And her friend was smack dab in the middle of it. 

It was not fair. []

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy late valentines?
> 
> Oh, and let me know what you think x


	2. The Opposite of Forever

Time went by so slowly when you waited for good news. It was always like that since as long as her family had lived, and could be even longer. 

She was thankful when she couldn’t find her dad when they arrived back at the house. Jasper and Emmett were nowhere to be found too, so RC guessed that they all went on some hunting trip. She didn’t really think too much about it because her mind was filled with Rory.

Rory. Her friend who suddenly went unresponsive in the middle of a Halloween party they went to. After the Mazda screeched to a stop in the driveway, Rosalie didn’t let her take Rory inside even though she could, technically. But, her aunt had a point, because by then, RC was already shaking too badly, and there was no way she could carry her friend inside without dropping her. 

Esme and Carlisle were already in the foyer when RC barged in with Rosalie behind her, carrying an unconscious Rory in her arms. It had been about five minutes after Rory’s eye closed and she stopped responding to her. No groans or whimpers. Nothing. By then Rosalie had the car going to one-twenty. That was way too fast for any sane person to drive, but she didn’t care and Rosalie got them home in record time.

“What happened?” Esme asked, horror displayed in her eyes. 

RC wanted to answer. She got her mouth opened but no words came spilling out.

“Someone drugged her,” Rosalie said. “We’re not sure what it is.”

“Get her to my office, would you, Rose?”

Rosalie didn’t waste a minute to follow Carlisle inside the house, towards the basically personal doctor’s office. RC never really understood why they needed it. None of them, except for her, really required medical check-ups and examinations. But that night, RC was really glad Esme made the time to make that office.

She was ready to follow suit, but a cold hand wrapped around her arm, stopping her.

“Let them take care of your friend,” Esme said softly. The hold she got on RC wasn’t technically hard, but it was strong enough to mean ‘stay put’. While some part of her didn’t want to listen and to just barge into the other room to see her friend, the larger part of RC knew that she couldn’t do _more_. It was up to the doctors by that point.

Esme got her some hot cocoa as she waited in the living room. On any other occasion she would enjoy that hot cocoa. She really, really would because for someone who didn’t require to eat, Esme made some pretty good meals that could compete with Michelin chefs. So, who did she think she was for turning down fancy food? 

But the mug of cocoa in RC’s hand didn’t taste the same. She didn’t feel the warmth as the liquid went down to her stomach. She didn’t feel the sweetness or the rich flavors. None of that. RC entirely blamed that on the waiting. 

Her dad stormed in not long after, going straight to Carlisle’s office. Emmett and Jasper had to basically get a hold of him so he wouldn’t do something stupid. They crashed into something before they managed to force him into the living room, where RC and Esme were sitting.

“You brought her here?!” Edward yelled to his daughter. “What were you thinking, Renesmee! Did you not think about the danger you have brought on us?”

RC didn’t miss the slight flinch in Esme’s body language and the hiss that came after. She wanted to fight her dad for that. How could he do that? Did he not have any value at all? The words were swimming in her head, forming some insults and some piece of her mind to _shut him up_. But her mouth wouldn’t open and she was just _tired_ and drained. 

“Edward, that’s enough.” Esme put her hands on RC’s shoulders and pulled the girl towards her. 

“Why are you so calm, Esme? Renesmee is risking our exposure!”

“Yeah, and your screaming definitely doesn’t help, man,” Emmett commented, still holding his hands around his brother’s body. “Besides, isn’t she passed out? She can’t expose us if she doesn’t know about us. Why are you even acting like the mere presence of her in this house will definitely tell her about what we are?”

Edward growled deep in his chest. “She is a loose end that needs to be tightened up.”

“And how would you propose to do that, Edward? By killing her?” Jasper asked.

“Yes.”

His answer was so simple, as though they wouldn’t have to deal with everything that came after that and all hell broke loose.

Everything that happened in front of her after that looked like a movie trailer. She saw snippets of events but none of them made sense. Her brain didn’t have the capabilities to process what was going on. Her mom and Aunt Alice were back, everyone was arguing. Yelling, something broke, and everything went black.

* * *

Vampires didn’t need sleep, so since their last day of being human, they never had a dream again. For RC, being a half vampire, half human and all that jazz, dreaming was a rare occurrence. But she dreamt of something that night, and she didn’t like what she saw.

It was a hospital room, so white and sterile. The air was filled with something stinging and sharp, nothing like the smell she was used to when she visited Carlisle at the hospital. A steady, beeping sound came from the machine beside the bed. When RC finally got a good look at it, she felt her heart drop. 

Rory. She looked so _small_ on that bed, so fragile with medical tubing attached to her arms and to her nose. Her skin was ghostly pale, and not the kind that her family had. Staring at her in that condition was more than terrifying. And then the steady beat stopped, replaced by one long ringing in her ears.

The sky was still dark out when RC awoke, sitting up abruptly. There was a blanket on her lap, one of the many blankets Esme liked to collect. Rosalie and Bella were sitting on the other couch. Their bodies leaned towards each other, talking too quiet for her to hear. When Bella’s eyes caught RC’s, the two vampires immediately moved to her sides. Rosalie took a seat behind her niece, playing with her hair. Bella took a seat and moved RC’s feet to her lap.

“How long was I asleep?”

“A few hours. Five, more or less,” Bella answered.

“What about Rory? Is she okay?” She asked, the image of her friend dying in a hospital bed was still burning in her mind.

“Veronica’s fine.” Rosalie brushed away the hair from RC’s forehead. “She just has to sleep it off. She’s still in Carlisle’s office.”

RC turned her body slightly to face her aunt. “You’re not saying that to make me feel better, are you?”

“No, Little Lily, I’m not Edward. I don’t lie because the truth is inconvenient to me.” Rosalie rolled her eyes before turning to Bella, irritation vanished from her eyes. “No offence to your husband, Bella, but you have to admit how he could be.”

Bella just hummed as she shrugged. “None taken.”

It was such a nonchalant gesture from her mom, but RC couldn’t help but notice the slight change of demeanor. Bella always seemed calm and somewhat guarded, and a literal definition of old habits die hard. And there was always something that indicated when she put her walls up—thinking, contemplating. That moment was one of them. 

“Listen, Lily,” Rosalie said, shifting in her seat. “You know you can talk to me, don’t you? Me and your mom. About anything.”

RC stared at her aunt’s darkened golden eyes. “You want me to talk about Rory.”

“And what happened last night,” Rosalie added. “That guy, who didn’t want you and Veronica to leave. Have you seen him around?”

“Sometimes I see him with some other kids hanging out with Rory. I never really like him. Well, him and also a few others. I don’t know why Rory keeps hanging out with them.” RC leaned back on the couch, playing with the corners of Esme’s blanket.

“Veronica runs around with these people?”

RC looked up to meet her mom’s eyes, her brows furrowed together. “Why are you saying it like that? What, now you think she’s bad news?”

Bella exhaled a breath she didn’t need. “RC, Veronica got drugged, possibly by someone she already knows, and the two of you were harassed after? Can you really blame me for being cautious?”

She scoffed in disbelief, though RC knew, deep down that her mom had a point. While Rory never really associated herself with bad crowds, she started to act less like herself after she got back from her uncle’s funeral. At first, RC thought about Rory coming home drunk as her grieve talking, but then it happened almost every day for the next three weeks. Then, there were the new people that Rory started to be around with. Rory was always outgoing, so having a lot of friends was not that far-reaching and pretty much plausible. But RC couldn’t help but think about all those new faces she saw around her friend. If Bella was right, and the drugging and the drinking came with the package of those new ‘friends’, Rory could bring more trouble for her.

But was she the kind of person who turned her back on a friend who clearly needed a little helping hand?

“Lily, I know you care about Veronica, deeply, but Bella—”

“Shit.” 

It came from the end of the hallway, followed by a pained groan. The voice was so small, so faint, but RC still picked that up. She dashed towards Carlisle’s office, stopping right before she opened the door to make sure that she didn’t give away anything to her friend. RC took one deep breath and rolled her shoulder as though they would make her feel any better. They wouldn’t, not really, because the only thing that could was currently in the other side of that door.

The inside of Carlisle’s office mimicked the usual examination room in a hospital, with addition of a few armchairs, a desk, and floor to ceiling bookshelves. Rory was laying on the bed, no longer wearing the previous get up from earlier in the night. Instead, she had on an oversized t-shirt that just drowned her body, making her so much smaller. There was a blanket up to her abdomen and an IV tube was attached to her right arm. RC shuddered in fear from the similarities between the scenario in front of her and the dream she had before.

_But she’s alive. Rory’s alive and she’s okay._

“Hey,” RC said, slowly walking towards the bed.

Rory let out a small smile, her eyes were still half-opened. “Hi,” she croaked.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like I just fell 2,000 feet to a body of water without a parachute,” Rory answered, taking in a deep breath as she rubbed her eyes. “Trust me, I know the feeling.”

“Speaking of water.” RC moved to the desk, where a pitcher full of water was sitting. She poured a glass and gave it to her friend, who took it gratefully. 

RC stood by the right side of the bed, playing with Rory’s fingers. It was weird, seeing her friend’s wrist so bare from the wrist cuffs or half a dozen bracelets that were usually there.

“I won’t lie to you and say that I’m fine, because everything hurts right now,” Rory said, a groan escaped her lips. “Ask me again in a few hours, will you?”

RC nodded. “Okay.”

“And RC?” Rory reached out her hand to grasp RC’s. She forced down a lump in the throat before saying, “Don’t leave me?”

“Yeah, of course. I won’t be far.”

It didn’t take a minute for Rory to fall back into a deep slumber. RC kept her word, she just stayed inside Carlisle’s office the entire time. The sun was almost up and Carlisle didn’t walk in, so that probably meant he was already at the hospital. She felt bad for not really speaking to neither Esme nor Carlisle when she got back last night. Her mind was too all over the place, and to be honest, she hadn’t felt as okay as she hoped. 

When the sky was getting brighter and she could feel the temperature getting warmer, there was a knock on the door and Rosalie popped her head in. She sauntered into the room, approaching RC who was sitting on one of the armchairs facing the bed.

Rosalie took a seat on the arm of the chair and immediately played with the strand of RC’s hair. “Are you going to stay here until she wakes up again?”

“I promised her I would.”

Her aunt only hummed in response. RC was half expecting a lecture from Rosalie, or maybe some kind of pep talk. The silence and her presence were not one of them. While it was no breaking news that Rosalie had a soft spot for RC, she was also not afraid to give her some tough love. She did that a few times before, when not even her mom had the guts to. 

“Do you think I should stay away from her?” RC asked, cutting down the silence in the room.

Rosalie didn’t answer immediately, her face was pensive. In that moment RC was afraid that her aunt would tell her that she was right, and she had to stay away from Rory after that night. Rosalie cared so much about her family’s safety, it was only rational that she told her niece, who was getting too close with Rory, to cut ties with her human friend.

“Lily, you and I both know that you are very much capable of making that decision by yourself,” Rosalie said. “Now, what do you think?”

_What do I think?_

RC could feel the gears in her head turning, trying to make sense of the situation she was in. Rosalie waited patiently, offering her an encouraging smile in the process. It took her awhile before she managed to speak her mind.

“I think that Rory helped me a lot. I don’t think I could make it this far without her and I don’t just mean with school stuff, but with everything else,” she said.

Rory was her guiding hand to fit in among the other kids, and taught her the mystery of late teenage years. That everyone had their own way to live and puzzled out their place in the world. Her family had lived a long time amongst the humans, but they never taught her to be one. She didn’t even think that they ever really engaged in one. But Rory did, and at the same time, taught her to be the best version of RC Cullen she could be. 

“Right now, she needs a friend. While she hangs out with an enormous amount of people, they are just that, people she hangs out with. They’re not someone that can understand her in a way that real friends can,” RC added.

 _Like I can_. It remained unsaid, but RC felt that Rosalie had no problem reading between the lines.

“See? There’s your answer.”

But RC felt it wasn’t enough. There was more. More to the reasons, to the purpose. Deep in her inmost heart, she knew there was something more. And her aunt must have known of this, otherwise they wouldn’t be sitting in there.

“Rosalie?”

“Yes, Little Lily?”

RC pulled her aunt’s thighs so she slid down to the seat. It was a tight fit for the both of them, so RC moved, curled up on Rosalie’s lap. Her legs were draped over the chair’s arm as she laid her head on her aunt’s stone hard shoulder.

“I think…” She exhaled a shaky breath. “Rose, I, uh, I think that I like Rory. Like, like her, as more, than a friend.”

Her heart had gone erratic by that point, if that was even possible. She felt like waiting for Rosalie’s answer was more stressful than the actual confession. 

“But you already knew that, didn’t you?” RC added, sinking into her aunt’s embrace.

She felt Rosalie nodded. “Yes, I did. I was just waiting for you to recognize those feelings on your own, and whatever you want to do, I just want you to be careful.”

Rosalie already knew, of course she had, even though she was wary about it. And of course she let her niece to figure that one out. In her mind, the little things that didn’t seem to matter seemed to be a whole much clearer. Why Rosalie never really seemed to mind about RC being in a constant presence of a human. Why talking about Rory was always easy to do. Why Rory was always the first person RC turned to, the one person she could trust that didn’t have the last name Cullen or Hale.

She thought about the possibilities that came with it. If RC was more comfortable around humans, maybe they wouldn’t have to be on guard every second of every day. They could relax, and actually _lived_. A life after the end of the first one. She couldn’t help the smile that creeped up her face thinking about all that.

But, there was the Jacob thing. How was that for complications?

“I recognize it alright,” RC said. “But I don’t think we can be the way I want us to be. She’s human, Rosalie. You know the trials and tribulations that the family went through the last time it happened. You and Jasper literally were planning on killing my mom.”

Rosalie let out a hiss. “That was not my finest moment but I stand by my choice. It was surely an eventful two years, though.”

“See? And then the imprinting,” RC said, her fingers traced the tips of her aunt’s blonde hair. “How can I be with someone when I’m imprinted to somebody else?”

“I don’t know much about imprinting, Little Lily. Bella could know more, but I think you should talk to Jacob about it. From what I’ve heard, imprinting could mean whatever you need it to be. If you need Jacob to be your brother figure or best friend, and nothing more, he should be just that.”

“What if he insisted that we could be more?”

Rosalie scoffed. "He has to learn to respect your choices one way or another otherwise he wouldn't be a good imprint now, would he?"

RC only shrugged as she kept her head on her aunt’s chest. The absence of heartbeat didn’t throw her off anymore. Instead, she found comfort hearing the steady beat of Rory’s heart across the room. She needed that, a constant when her world was changing too fast for her to process. Ironic wasn’t it?

Her constant was Rory. It had been Rory since she moved to Hanover. She was gambling of course, getting too close to a human. Not because she was worried that she would accidentally kill her, but more like she was afraid to be the one to put her family in the line of danger. A danger that could be prevented if she didn’t get too close.

And if she chose Rory, over everything else, what then? Changed Rory just so the two of them could be together a little longer? What if that happened and they didn’t work out? Or what if Rory didn’t want to be a vampire? Surely, she couldn’t force her to be one and that’d mean Rory would die far sooner than her and the rest of the family. RC would have to live in a world where Rory didn’t exist. Could she handle that when there was an easier answer for her in the form of Jacob Black?

Her imprint. To be honest, she didn’t really understand that concept to begin with. She remembered the perpetual presence of Jacob as she grew up. He was _always_ there, like a bodyguard. RC always saw Jacob as a friend, so she didn't really have a problem digesting the reality when he, along with her family, told her about the imprinting. Why would she? She liked having him around. But as she got older, it started to get real weird, real fast. 

It got even weirder when the family had to move out from Forks. She vaguely remembered it, but she knew there was a fight between Jacob and her family. 

They had to leave before people started to get suspicious about their lack of aging, and the fact that RC was still fast-growing. But Jacob didn't want them to because of 'the pull' that RC had towards him. She didn’t know about this pull that Jacob was talking about. Sure, leaving Forks would sucks. She had grown used to the people and the scenery, hanging out with Seth and Leah—though the latter was never voluntarily. But RC didn’t really feel the pull feeling like Jacob did.

Their options were limited and never satisfactory. The Cullens had to leave before suspicions grew and Jacob had to stay because of the pack. At one point, Jacob offered to go with them, but that’d mean leaving Seth and Leah without their alpha and Billy without his son. If RC stayed in Forks, she’d have to leave her family and there would still be talks around the town about why Dr. and Mrs. Cullen left their youngest member of the family behind.

She didn’t want that. No amount of Jacob could replace her family. Replace the bedtime stories her mom told her, or the dress up with Aunt Alice, or the walks along the river with Aunt Rosalie. No, no way.

So, Jacob visited them in Calgary. Every week, stayed for two days before he had to leave. That once a week turned into once every two weeks, and then a month. The last time he visited was almost two months before. Maybe that was why she couldn’t tell him about Rory. Not really, not in the way she wanted to.

_What would I even say? ‘Hey, Jacob, are you sure the imprinting thing is real because there’s this girl I really like.’ Yeah, right._

“Penny for your thoughts?” Rosalie’s voice brought her back to the present.

“I, uh, I was just thinking about the imprinting stuff. What to say to Jacob.” RC sighed deeply, snuggling more into Rosalie. “I don’t know how to approach the subject without him getting all weird. Because this is. Weird, I mean.”

“Hey, you don’t have to sugarcoat it for him. He’s a grown man, he should act like one.” 

RC raised her head and sat up straight, staring at Rosalie dead in her darkened golden eyes. “Why do I have this feeling like you’re on Rory’s side and not Jacob’s in this situation?”

“Lily, you know it’s never a secret that I am not particularly fond of Jacob,” Rosalie said. “I tolerate him. When Bella was still pregnant with you, for her sake. Then he imprinted on you, literally five minutes after you were born. That’s rather…” Rosalie chuckled, shaking her head. “Well, I think you know my opinions on that matter. I tolerate him for you after that, because you seemed to like him. Until something changed.”

She couldn’t help the frown forming on her forehead. She shifted on Rosalie’s lap, unconsciously putting a distance between them. 

A matching frown appeared in her aunt’s face. “Lily, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

 _Something happened all right_.

She started to look around. Her eyes went everywhere except to meet Rosalie’s.

“You don’t have to tell me,” Rosalie said, grasping RC’s hands in hers, “but your reaction is enough of an answer. I don’t want you to feel like you have to talk to me, but Lily, I do hope that you talk to someone. Don’t bottle it up inside, okay?”

RC nodded before settling back against Rosalie’s chest. She felt arms engulfing her body, cold but inviting. The cooling ice to her fiery one. She exhaled a deep breath, finding solace in Rory’s steady heartbeat. []

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, a little something about the imprinting, one of *many* things I have to fix. 
> 
> This story is actually getting somewhere, I never imagined 🤣 Anyway, let me know what you think?


	3. Under the Charms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so... let's try this again. I hope I do these characters some justice, because writing their personalities can be a little tricky sometimes. Especially Rosalie. She is a complex woman that deserves the world and more. And I'd like to thank my friend Tofu who had helped me a lot with this story. The plot, the writing, the little things that would take 84 years further down the plot 🤣 Anyway, thanks dude, and every single one of you that left comments, kudos, and everything in between.

The sky was already blue—or as blue as it could be over the town of Hanover—when Rory finally woke up. She didn’t look as pale as before. Some colors had returned to her cheeks and her eyes were no longer misty.

Rosalie had left to go hunting a few hours before, after RC noticed her golden eyes got darker and darker. The presence of a human just a few feet away couldn’t really help her thirst. Not that RC thought her aunt would drain someone dry because she was thirsty. No. Rosalie Hale had better self-control than that, but RC knew being hungry wasn’t a nice feeling.

Still, Rosalie refused to go. She was unwilling to leave RC behind in _their_ house. Something deep inside her literally screamed that Rosalie didn’t want to leave Rory. RC’s heart warmed at that. After some persuasion, Rosalie left to hunt just outside the town.

“Did you really stay here the whole time I was asleep?”

RC smiled. She took a seat on the foot of the bed, trying to get as comfortable as she could. “Well, I did promise you.”

Rory hummed and slowly sat up, sitting cross-legged on the bed. When she managed to do so, her eyes squeezed shut, brows furrowed. Other than that, she looked relaxed, as though she didn’t spend the last ten hours passed out.

“How are you feeling? You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rory answered, groaning as she kept blinking rapidly. “I’m just getting used to the light, that’s all.”

“Oh, okay.” RC shifted in her seat, not sure on what to say. “Do you want something to eat? I think _Maman_ just made something.”

Rory nodded before roughly pulling out the IV tube from her arm. She wasn’t even fazed, unlike RC who winced at the display. Rory got off from the bed slowly and they both left the room to the kitchen.

RC had a feeling even Rory wouldn’t have much trouble trying to find the kitchen when Esme was cooking. The smell just enveloped every square inch of the house.

“Damn.” Rory inhaled a deep breath. “I’m starting to believe that your mom really is a great cook,” Rory commented as they strolled down the hall.

Framed photos of her family decorated the space. Some of them were real, some photoshopped. The marvel of the advancement of technology, she always thought.

Looking at those photos, it was easy to imagine that they had a normal life. There was a close-up photo of her and Rosalie, for whatever reason, was bigger than the rest. Rosalie was holding one single purple lily that RC gave her sometime before that picture was taken. She was edited, of course, to make her actually looked like a thirteen years old teenager next to a ten years old looking RC. An ageless vampire and a three years old hybrid. The original photo was in Rosalie’s room, safe from prying eyes.

“Aw, look at that,” Rory cooed as she pointed to a photo of RC when she was a toddler. Well, not really, but she did look like one. “You’re cute since you’re little.”

It was an innocent comment that made RC blushed profoundly. She actually felt _warmer_. But it soon disappeared when she heard a grunt from somewhere in the house. She restrained herself to yell, though it was no doubt that her dad could hear her thoughts anyway.

Shaking her head, she led Rory towards away. She felt Rory’s warm hand slithered down her arm, before entwined with her fingers. When RC looked to the side, her friend’s gaze was still scouring through the walls of her house.

From all the time RC had spent with Rory, she noticed a few things. The most obvious ones were something Rory always did unconsciously. There were just some little habits that she did—one leg off the ground when she sat on a chair, twirl and play a lock of her hair when she had it down, or this. Her arm always looped through RC’s when they were close.

In the kitchen, Esme was busy in front of the stove, which had several pans on top of it. The kitchen island was already set up with utensils for two. A jug of orange juice was already there.

“RC, Veronica, I hope you girls are hungry,” Esme said as she turned around to face the two. “I think I cooked too much.”

The smile in Rory’s face was so big and contagious that RC couldn’t help but to grin too. She didn’t know why it was surprising, because it was clear from the start that Rory had a thing with food. Any kind of them. So, hearing Esme said a lot of food definitely took Rory’s happy level through the roof.

“Is that coffee I smell?”

And of course, nothing could stand in the way between Rory and her coffee.

Esme chuckled a little as she pointed to the coffee maker on the counter. “One of the many things RC talked about you is your love of caffeine.”

Rory turned to face her, grinning even more widely. “You talked about me a lot, huh? Good things, I hope.”

RC covered her face in embarrassment. She let out a groan, making Rory and Esme shared a laugh.

“Go sit down, girls. The food is almost ready,” Esme said before directing her words to Rory. “And you, young lady, food first, coffee later. RC also told me about your habit of drinking coffee with an empty stomach.”

Rory opened her mouth, about to protest, but quickly shut it and hastily took a seat on the island stool. “Thank you, Mrs. Cullen, and I’d like to apologize about last night. I didn’t mean to make a poor first impression.”

Esme waved her hand. “Oh, honey, nonsense with Mrs. Cullen. It’s just Esme,” she said, before plating some eggs and roasted sweet potato, and putting them in front of the two girls. “Eat up while they’re still hot. Don’t worry about last night, Veronica, I’m glad you two were together. Who knows what could’ve happened if RC didn’t bring you here?”

Those sentences could have a double meaning, but before she could really process it, Rory’s words surprised her.

“Probably passed out drunk on the floor,” Rory stated as she stabbed a piece of potato forcefully. “Or woke up on the roof and fell down from that said roof, through a tree, and crashed into my friend’s car.”

The smile in Esme’s face was replaced by a frown. “This has happened to you before?”

“Err, I was, I—me in high school was basically a safety hazard.” Rory nodded and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “I, uh, I got g-grounded, and Mama never let me stay in the house on my own after that.”

RC stared at her friend in disbelief. It was hard to imagine Rory was someone so wild and reckless. What she did in her high school year was a lot of things, but RC was sure legal was rarely it. The way Rory just nonchalantly talked about it made her think that there was something more to the story. Something that Rory hadn’t told her yet.

“Rory, you weren’t passed out drunk. You didn’t touch any alcohol last night, I was there. You were drugged, Rory, but someone. Don’t you remember?”

One of Rory’s legs started to shake and her brows knitted together. She tilted her head to one side in confusion.

“No, I don’t,” she admitted softly, almost embarrassed. “I can’t remember anything. I didn’t do anything stupid, did I?”

She wanted to say that something worse than stupid was about to happened. That Rory’s not so great friend was basically harassing her. Well, both of them, but it was Rory who got drugged first. And it was likely that the person who put something in her drink was also that guy who didn’t want them to leave.

Now, how did someone tell that kind of news to their friend?

“No, you did not, but I did end up dragging you out of there. I mean, literally. You are a lot heavier than you look.”

It wasn’t technically a lie, but not the whole truth either. Telling half a lie to her friend didn’t get any easier like she hoped. But what else could she do?

“Huh, yeah. It’s probably all the weightlifting I did.”

After the somewhat vague confirmation about what happened the night before, Rory put her entire focus on the food in front of her. The whole thing disappeared into her stomach in less than ten minutes. As promised, Esme poured a cup of coffee and slid it beside Rory’s plate, before grabbing a cream and a carton of milk.

Rory absolutely _beamed_. RC couldn’t remember the last time Rory let out a smile that big. Or the last time she looked _carefree_ and actually like a _kid_. An eighteen years old, but still a kid. Esme didn’t mind at all, as she kept putting more food onto Rory’s plate. Although, she stopped giving her coffee after the third cup. Rory literally _whined_ when Esme gave her a glass of orange juice instead.

“Enough with the coffee and slow down, honey. The food isn’t going anywhere but your belly,” Esme chuckled, wiping the corner of Rory’s mouth with a napkin.

Rory thinned her lips and her cheeks were getting red. She swallowed down her food quickly before saying, “Sorry, it’s been awhile since I had a real home cooked meal, you know?”

Esme’s expression fell after hearing that. “Oh, honey.”

“Didn’t you always bring out food that you make every time we study?”

“Dude, there’s only so much I can do with an air fryer,” Rory retorted back. “I’d love to eat out for every meal everyday but my Mama would have my head if I ended up in the hospital again. So, I try not to do that.”

“RC Cullen, you have your friend cooking for you?” Esme demanded, hands on her hips.

She froze in her seat. Her mouth went open and close but no words came out. “She, w-wait, she, hold on a minute, I didn’t—”

“It’s really no problem, Esme, I don’t mind sharing,” Rory said before turning to face her. “What’s mine is yours, dude. Don’t worry about it. Except my coffee, I’m not sharing those.”

“You have a problem, Rory.” RC shoved her playfully.

But it seemed like she didn’t take it as a joke. Rory bit her lower lip and said, “Yeah that I do. I’m working on it, I promise.”

_Working on what now?_

Before she got a chance to ask, she heard a rumble of a car engine. The front door opened a second after. She glanced at Rory warily, but the girl didn’t seem to hear anything out of the ordinary.

“So, this is the famous Veronica I’ve been hearing nonstop.”

Rory jumped in her seat and almost fell over. It looked like the leg she chose to fold on the seat didn’t give quite the balance, but the girl didn’t seem to care about that.

“Dude!” Rory exclaimed, still holding tightly to the edge of the kitchen island. “Give a girl a little warning, would you?”

Emmett laughed as he leaned on the wall of the entryway to the kitchen. Rosalie strolled past him, entering the room to give a kiss on Esme’s cheek.

“Morning _Maman_ , Lily,” Rosalie greeted and received a chorus of ‘mornings’ from her family. She pulled out a glass from the cabinet, filling it with some orange juice. “Hello, Veronica.”

“Hey, Rosalie.”

“How are you feeling?”

Rory shrugged a little too nonchalantly. “Well, I don’t feel like I just fell 2,000 feet anymore, so that’s a good thing.”

Rosalie slightly arched an eyebrow, clearly not fully believing the answer she was given. She turned to RC, who shook her head subtly.

 _Not really_.

“That’s good to hear,” Rosalie replied. “Your car is in the driveway and I put your clothes in there last night.” She reached for something in her pocket and put it on the table—Rory’s car key that RC couldn’t figure out how to operate.

When RC looked up, there was something in Rory’s expression as she played with the car key. She exchanged subtle glances with Esme and Rosalie, but she didn’t get any answer. 

“Thank you for this.” Rory vaguely gestured to her body and the room. “All of this. You really don’t have to—”

“You’re right, we don’t.” Rosalie’s words cut her off like a hot steel blade through a block of butter.

“Rose.” Esme warned her.

If looks could kill, Rosalie would at least be critical from the glaring daggers thrown by RC. She didn’t get it, truly. Just a few hours ago, Rosalie was literally pushing her to acknowledge the undeniable feelings she had for Rory. Sure, she was still speculating on the matter, but Rosalie was acting like her niece was about to propose to Rory, or something equally permanent.

“No, Esme, it’s all right. I kind of deserve it,” Rory said, agreeing. “I haven’t, uh, I haven’t been a good friend to RC lately.”

“That you have not.”

“Rosalie, come on,” RC pleaded, but Rosalie just raised an eyebrow in response.

“RC, your sister got a point. I have a bad coping mechanism, I know that and I am working on it. I promise, I really am. It’s just, it’s hard.” Rory’s voice was strained. “I think I need some professional help. Again.”

RC turned her head too fast to be normal for a human. She internally winced at that. “Again?”

“I did tell you I’ve been working on problems,” Rory answered, “but yeah, I’m sorry I haven’t been a good friend and for the trouble I have caused from my careless and irresponsible behavior last night. Also, the several weeks before that.”

“Hey, Rory.” RC grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly. “Stop beating yourself up. I’m not saying the things you did were okay, because they were _not_. It’s self-destructive, but you’re working on that, so… We’re fine, Rory, don’t worry.”

Rory gave her a grateful smile. For a second, RC forgot the rest of her family in the room. There were just the two of them. She left warm and fuzzy, the good kind. Like the first time she felt snow or the first time she tried to play the violin.

“O-kay.” Emmett clapped his hand. The sound it made was so loud, there was no way that their residence human friend would think nothing of it. “Since we got _that_ out of the way, allow me for some introduction. Hi, I’m Emmett, the wonderful boyfriend of this wonderful woman right here.” Emmett stood behind Rosalie and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple. “And RC’s favorite person, of course.”

“No, you’re not,” RC denied.

“That’s true, because I am.” Rory smirked triumphantly. She took a sharp intake of breath and the smirk disappeared. “Anyway, I’m Veronica, but I guess you already know that.”

“Yeah, RC won’t shut up about you.”

A crumpled-up napkin flew, hitting Emmett straight in the face. It didn’t stop the laugh from coming out of him.

“She never shut up about you too.” Rory tilted her head to one side, brows furrowed. “On second thought, no actually. RC doesn’t really talk about you guys. I guess she wanted to keep me on edge when I finally met you. Under different circumstances of course. One that doesn’t involve me getting doped up.”

Esme and Rosalie had uneasiness written in their faces, although Rosalie was better at hiding it. RC threw a disapproving glare at her friend, but Rory didn’t notice. What was up with that girl and her off-timing of humor?

“You’re feeling okay now, Veronica?” Emmett asked.

“Rory,” she answered. “After everything you’ve done for me, I think you can call me Rory. And to answer your question, I do feel better, thank you. Although, I still can’t remember anything from last night.” Rory pinched the bridge of her nose before breaking out a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “But hey, at least I don’t forget how to drive, right? Otherwise, I’d have a problem getting back to campus.”

“Wait, you’re going back already? I thought you’re staying longer so we can play Mortal Kombat together.”

“Are you sure, honey?” Esme asked. “Dartmouth isn’t exactly a five minutes’ drive from here.”

“Yeah, sure. I don’t want to intrude on your family’s weekend. Besides, I need to do some check-ins with my Mama. Time difference and all that, you know.”

RC knitted her brows. She heard about these check-ins that Rory had to do and she was pretty sure that they were just phone calls. Nothing more.

“Where’s your mother now, Rory? Maybe you can call her from here?” Esme tried to persuade.

“Barcelona.” Rory nodded, her head movements restrained. “She travels a lot, takes me along when she can.”

Esme was still not convinced. In that moment, RC was sure none of her family actually believed that Rory was fine. The girl was covering it so well, but not well enough to fool _them_.

“RC, why don’t you take Rory to your room? Let her take a shower and lend her some clothes. I’ll clean up down here.”

Esme’s hands were already reaching from the empty plates in front of the two girls when Rory stopped her.

“Wait, no, I can help,” she offered. “It’s the least I can do.”

“Oh, nonsense. I don’t let guests do the cleaning in this house.”

“No, just her kids,” Emmett mumbled under his breath.

RC held her breath. Emmett couldn’t forget the cover story that the family had agreed on, could he? From the second floor, she heard her dad growled and complained. RC had to restrain herself to roll her eyes.

“And that earned you additional duty of washing Rory’s plates.” Esme had a way too sweet smile, pointing at the plates on the table.

Emmett grumbled and half-heartedly started to put away the plates and mugs into the sink. Rory lingered by her seat, watching the whole interaction with an amused smile.

“Rory, come on.” RC grabbed her friend’s hand and pulled her away from the kitchen. She heard Rory tried to say something to Esme, but the words got caught in her throat. All that came out was some awkward ‘thank you’ and ‘see you later’.

She wasted no time getting upstairs towards her room. She just hoped her dad would be nowhere to be seen. Or, at least, heard her thought about not wanting Rory to meet him. RC knew she shouldn’t expect much when she heard the piano.

In the upstairs lounge, she found Edward on the piano bench. Bella was on the couch near him, her eyes glued to the laptop on her lap. When he turned his head to meet RC’s eyes, she could see the disapproval in his.

 _Grow up, Edward_. RC rolled her eyes.

His lips curled up in a snarl as he shot daggers at Rory behind her. The growl was low—to low for any human to hear—so RC hoped that her friend didn’t hear that. But, when she turned around, Rory was staring back at Edward. Her brows were raised and she had a slight smirk, but all the way tantalizing.

The staring contest between Edward and Rory kept going on for several seconds that felt like eternity. When Bella finally realized what was going on, she moved to the closet part of the couch to Edward and kicked the bench leg. The tension broke. RC placed herself in Rory’s sight line, purposely blocking her view of a scowling Edward.

“Hey, come on. My room’s this way.”

RC’s bedroom was the only one in the house that looked like an actual bedroom. A queen bed on one side, a desk in the other. Shelves filled with little trinkets and Pinterest-y setups. 

She moved to her closet and heard Rory’s light footsteps behind. “I think I have some clothes here that will hopefully fit you. Ah, there we go.” She threw some pants and sleeveless hoodie at Rory, who caught them without effort. 

“Thanks, dude.”

Rory didn’t turn around or wait for RC to leave the room before taking off her shirt. RC let out a choked gasp. A blush creeped up from her neck to her cheek as her gaze was frozen on Rory’s abdomen. She could see the fine abs lines on the skin. 

“Take a picture, dude, it’ll last longer,” Rory said, smirking, before pointing to the door. “Bathroom?”

“First door on your left.” The words came out more of a croak. Emmett’s laugh could be heard, loud in her ears that made her another deeper shade of red.

Rory disappeared in her sport bra. The smirk never left her face. RC didn’t move from her spot until she heard the bathroom door close. She groaned as she rubbed her face furiously. _What the hell was that?_

Emmett materialized in the doorway to her room, grinning like a maniac. “So, she’s nice. And gorgeous too.”

“What do you want, Emmett?”

“Nothing, I just want to talk to you about your _friend_.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “She seems fun. Are you planning to bring her over again sometime?”

RC shook her head. “I don’t know. She was throwing daggers with Edward earlier.”

“It’s Edward, are you really that surprised?” Emmett stepped into the room, sitting on the desk chair.

“It’s not Edward that I’m worried about,” she muttered. “Rory seemed to be _enjoying_ it, Emmett. You weren’t there. It was almost like she _knew_. I’m starting to think that maybe I _said something_ or at least slipped something up without even realizing it while I was with her.”

“Okay, now you’re just being paranoid,” Emmett said. “You’re doing great, RC, and your friend is fine. If you’re worried about Rose not liking her, please don’t, because she already does.”

She couldn’t help but give her uncle a look. _Are you serious?_

Emmett raised his hands up. “What? It’s true. Do you really think Rose would let some random college kid get into the back seat of her car?”

RC wanted to protest. At the same time, she could see Emmett’s point. Her talk with Rosalie earlier in the morning, and every talk before that told her that Rosalie never had that much of a problem with Rory. But then Rosalie actually met Rory, and she acted so guarded up and somewhat hostile. RC didn’t know what to make of it.

“I don’t know,” RC stated, uncertainty was displayed clearly on her face.

She was already grasping at straws with this whole being human thing—more human than her family managed to do and teach her—and then this came along? Feelings. For a human. And how her family reacted to it. Couldn’t she have a break?

The faint click of the bathroom lock reached her ears. Emmett didn’t make a move to leave. Instead, he just sat there, grinning like a maniac. 

“Oh, hey, Emmett.” Rory stood by the door. Her hair was wet and she already wore the clothes RC got for her. With the sleeveless hoodie, Rory’s arms were on full display. Those well-defined muscles of hers.

“You’re drooling.” Emmett’s mouth didn’t move as he whispered so lowly, making sure only RC could hear. And she heard that all right.

Exhaling a breath, RC got out of the room with her friend in tow. 

Edward was no longer behind the piano. The bench was hidden behind the couch but RC noticed the broken wood and splinters near it. 

_Now, when did that happen?_

When they both reached the living room, Esme was already there with a canvas bag. “Rory, these are for you.” Esme handed it over and RC peeked inside—a thermos and a food container. 

“Oh, thank you. I hope I didn’t give you guys too much trouble last night,” Rory said gratefully. 

“It’s quite alright, honey.” Esme wrapped her arms loosely around Rory. The girl stiffened a little, before hesitantly returning it. RC couldn’t see her face clearly. From the side, Rory looked… frazzled

“Now, are you sure you feel fine enough to drive?” Esme added after pulling away from the hug. Her hands were still on Rory’s shoulders. “I don’t want something bad to happen on the way back.”

Rory nodded, her smile strained. “It’s all good, Esme.”

RC tilted her head, not sure if that was a concerning thing or not.

“Yeah, before I go.” Rory cleared her throat. “Did any of you see my shoes? And my phone?”

RC face-palmed and shook her head. How could she miss the most basic thing?

“They all are in Carlisle’s office,” Rosalie chimed in before she took a seat by the fireplace, a book in hand.

“I’ll go get them for you.” Esme disappeared before Rory could say anything.

Rosalie cleared her throat. When Rory looked up to meet her gaze, Rosalie pointed to the armchair in front of her. Hastily, Rory took a seat. RC sat down on the ottoman beside her friend.

“I’m going to ask you again, and please, don’t you dare lie to me, Veronica.”

Rory gulped down and nodded.

Satisfied, Rosalie continued. “How are you feeling, really?”

It took a second for Rory to answer. “I feel like hell. Mostly ‘cause I’m disappointed at myself.” Rory let out a shaky breath and her voice lowered. “Some of those people were just a friend of a friend. A few days back some of them talked about planning to spike the party.”

RC furrowed her brows. “Spike, how? There was already alcohol in there.”

“They meant party drugs, RC,” Rory answered. “Meth, ecstasy, rohypnol.”

“Rohypnol?”

“Roofies, or date-rape drugs,” Rory added. “I know what they do. Their immediate effects on your body, the risks on your health and psychology and I still _wanted to go_. I thought it’d be fine, you know, then _you showed up_ looking gorgeous and I pulled you right into the dark side of my world.”

RC almost missed the slight curl in the corner of Rosalie’s mouth when Rory said ‘gorgeous’. She soon covered it up by pressing her lips together. A storm of emotions were swirling around in Rosalie’s face, threatening to break out.

“You are reckless, Veronica. You know that, don’t you? With the drugs? And the horrible things that could happen—” Rosalie’s voice was laced with venom. A growl slipped through her teeth.

RC moved to sit in the arm of the chair beside her aunt in an instant. She reached out to take Rosalie’s hand. 

Rory furrowed and sat up straight. Realization dawned on her. “Oh. I, uh, I’m—”

Rosalie closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. “Listen. You’re a smart kid, but your carelessness can be your downfall, especially when you roped my sister into it.”

“I’m sorry,” Rory whispered, looking down.

“I know you are. My sister cares a lot about you, do you realize that? She tries her best to help you out and keep you safe. It kills her when you don’t take care of yourself. And when she’s upset, it kills _me_. So, please, be smarter, Rory.” 

Esme came in right after that. No doubt she heard the whole conversation.

Rory left her boots loosely tied and they walked her out to the driveway. The red Mazda was there, where Rosalie left it the night before.

Esme looked like she wanted to say something to make Rory stay a little while longer. “Drive safely, Rory,” she said, slightly reluctant.

“Oh, she’s not driving.” Rosalie walked past them, snatching the key from Rory’s hand and settled in the driver seat.

“I’m not getting out of this, am I?”

“No,” Rosalie replied. “Get in.”

Rory said goodbye quickly and got into the passenger seat. Rosalie punched the gas a half second after Rory shut the door closed, earning a yell from the girl.

“Holy Had—do you have a death wish?!”

RC and Esme stood by while Rory’s car got smaller and smaller, her yelps disappeared with the wind. Emmett suddenly appeared in front of them, looking at the direction his wife went to.

“See, RC? She likes her.”

Yeah, RC was just convinced. []


	4. What's Written in the Stars

It could be frustrating when someone you cared so deeply, couldn’t see themselves the way you do. It also, oh so frustrating, when they dismissed their feelings. She could be a hypocrite herself, but at least she acknowledged them in the first place. Rory? Not so much.

Over the course of that weekend, the Cullens’ house was filled with mixed feelings. RC was worried about her friend who liked to brush off a trauma as if they weren’t crushing her under its weight. Esme kept thinking about how no one could take care of Rory as she recovered. Rosalie wasn’t sure to encourage RC to chase her feelings for Rory or to hold her back. Bella didn’t want RC to be friends with Rory as long as the human friend kept engaging with shady people. Edward straight up wanted to kill her. Jasper and Alice returned to their own house on Saturday evening. He tried not to show it, but it was clear that the tsunami of emotions was getting to him. 

With everyone being so contradictory with each other and Rory _barely_ talking to her, RC wanted to scream. Emmett was nice enough to let RC use him as a punching bag. Those grievances and irritations needed channeling. Punching a marble-hard vampire would do it absolutely. And it was nice, fighting a punching bag that actually fought back.

When Monday rolled around, RC felt like Rory was avoiding her. Other than a few ‘hello’s and ‘how are you’s, Rory didn’t really talk to her. Bella was somewhat delighted by that. 

She just wanted to talk. Not necessarily for the sake of figuring out her feelings, but for Rory’s. Her friend had a bad habit of brushing off her pain and trauma instead of actually dealing with them. It was getting concerning.

So, RC watched from afar.

She watched as Rory avoided her usual mass of friends, only sticking with one or two. Most of the time, she was alone. RC noticed how Rory kept going out for coffee. Was she eating something with all that caffeine? 

A part of her wanted to just walk over to Rory’s dorm. To confess her feelings and screw with Edward’s disapproval. She was scared of what happened after. Did she tell Rory about her family’s secret? How would she react to that? Did she continue to keep it a secret? Would Rory return her feelings?

It was supposed to be complicated, but not by much, right? Oh, how wrong she could be.

"Hey, Ness."

She froze by the opened door. In front of her, stood a man she hoped she wouldn't have to see in several more days.

"Jacob."

Jacob smiled widely as he stepped inside her dorm and gave a hug. His large arms didn't bring a certain feeling like they used to anymore. In fact, his towering built over her was getting a little unnerving. 

“What? Aren’t you happy to see me?” he asked after pulling away.

RC’s eyes widened as she shook her head. “No, no it’s not that. I just, I, I thought you’re not coming until Friday?”

“I couldn’t wait to see you, Ness,” Jacob replied. “Are you free today?”

She lifted the strap of her bag. “I have school, Jacob. My class schedule isn’t empty until Friday.” 

“Not even after your class? I’d love to catch up.”

“My classes ended at six today. Bella’s off around one.”

“I can do—”

“Hey, RC?”

RC exhaled a breath in relief, even though she wasn’t expecting to hear from her anytime soon. Jacob frowned and he turned around. Just outside her door, Rory was waiting, full lopsided grin and all that.

“Rory, hi.”

“Err, you ready to go?” Rory pointed to the end of the hallway with her thumb. “We have to leave now so we can make it to the administration office before class starts.”

RC tilted her head in confusion. She was pretty sure that she didn’t make any plan with Rory to go anywhere. How could she, when Rory was always eager to leave every time they crossed paths with each other?

“What administration office?” Jacob turned his back on the opened door to face her. His brows furrowed.

Before she could answer, Rory chimed in, “To pick up our new replacement quiz. For Friday evening. To make up the cancelled English class last week?”

“Oh, right. Miss Haynes. I forgot about that.” 

Actually, she didn’t. Because Miss Haynes never cancelled any class since the school year started. Rory was up to something and RC had no problem following her lead.

“I better get going,” she said to Jacob, hoping that her words were enough to send him away. 

Jacob nodded. “Okay. I’ll see you later, Ness.”

“RC,” she corrected, but Jacob didn’t seem to be listening. He gave a tight smile to Rory and left quickly. 

With Jacob gone, the nagging feeling inside her chest disappeared too. She still wasn’t sure what that was all about. How it started and why it bothered her so much. But RC couldn’t think about it further when Rory was standing in front of her. 

Her friend was still looking at the direction Jacob disappeared to after RC was sure that Jacob was no longer in the vicinity. She took the moment to fully _look_ at her. Nothing much had changed, but RC noticed something different about her. Something she couldn’t wrap her head around. 

“Thank you, for that,” RC said, breaking the silence.

“No problem.” Rory tossed her hair to the side, her grin faded from the face. “I was coming here and I heard him. It felt, I don’t know, you sounded uneasy, so I thought I’d make him go away.”

The statement made the gears in her head turn. Were she and Jacob really talking _that_ loud? Or at least, loud enough to attract Rory’s attention and got her in front of her dorm, days after they weren’t ‘not talking’. 

RC had no idea how long she needed to wait to have Rory willingly be around her. So, she did the one thing she could. “Do you want to walk me?”

“Of course,” she said with a smile.

Okay, so, RC did not expect her friend to agree. Rory jumped on the balls of her feet as RC locked the door behind her. 

They walked side by side. It didn’t miss her that Rory was still putting a little distance. Her friend looked… conflicted for the lack of better words. It wasn’t until they got outside the building that Rory slid closer, her arms looped through RC’s like usual. 

RC tried to hide her smile.

“I’m sorry it took a while for me to actually talk to you.” Misty cloud came out of Rory’s mouth as she spoke. “What Rosalie said, back in your house, she had a point. Not gonna lie, it felt like she poured salt on my wounds, but she was right. And I think I needed that. I’m used to having people around me who help me steer myself to the right direction. Then, I moved here and suddenly I’m on my own.”

“You have a hard time adjusting,” RC concluded. 

“It’s a poor excuse, I know.”

“No, it’s not. It’s…” RC took a breath. “It’s human.”

Rory just nodded as they continued walking across campus. 

_Human_.

Maybe that was it. To be human. To adjust and to adapt to the situations and problems thrown your way. To let yourself make mistakes but not let them define you, but to make them a lesson. 

Rory kept apologizing since last Friday. Could it be a sign that she was learning? Like RC herself. Learning for a different purpose, of course, but learning nonetheless. They both had a little growing up to do, that much was obvious. 

“Besides,” Rory continued, “your sister can be scary when she wants to be.”

“What, Bella?”

“N-no, Rosalie. She looks like, like the type of person you don’t want to be yo-your enemy. So, when she asked, w-why bother lying?” Rory added, her teeth chattered slightly.

Hanover never really had a lot of sun. The days were getting darker and colder nearing the end of the year. While RC had no problem with the weather, Rory did, apparently. She kept pressing closer to RC, her body shook slightly. 

“Okay, let’s get you out of the cold.” RC threw her arm around her friend’s shoulder, hoping her higher body temperature could reach more of Rory’s body. Also, the heeled boots that her aunt Alice forced her to wear really helped with the height difference. 

Once they entered their class building, RC didn’t move her arm. Rory didn’t seem to mind as she held RC’s hand over her shoulder as they walked. 

“Listen, I can’t promise that I have time to talk more now that Jacob’s here.”

“Jacob?” Rory tilted her head. “The guy from earlier?”

RC nodded. “We have a long, complicated history. Me, my family, him. If you ask me, I wouldn’t know where to start.”

“Yeah, I can tell. But, if you don’t mind, I can pick you up after class. Have lunch? And coffee,” Rory chuckled nervously. “Or whatever you want. I just want a chance I guess. To make up for, well, everything.” 

“Lunch sounds great,” she said.

A smile creeped up Rory’s face. “Alright. Uh, still 12:30?” she asked, pointing to the lecture hall behind them. 

“You remembered.”

“I try.” Rory shrugged, stepping back. “I’ll see you later?”

“See you,” she said, smiling a little.

The smile disappeared as she stepped into the room. Careful not to trip to her seat, RC pulled out her phone and texted Bella. 

**_jacob’s on campus. did he tell u?_ **

RC sat down in the back, still clutching her phone. She stared at the screen as if intensely looking at it would make her mother reply faster. The notification panel slid down, followed by a ping. 

**_No. I’ll keep him company. Don’t skip class._ **

She rolled her eyes as she read the response. 

**_its not really fair that u get to skip and i dont, btw ask what he wants pls? and be discreet istg_ **

She didn’t bother waiting for a text back before putting away her phone. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Jacob around, but the guy really showed up at a bad time. And if he was around, he’d definitely wanted to talk about something that she really had no interest in talking. The last time they tried to have that talk, it didn’t end so great. So, yeah, RC was not eager. 

But at least Rory was starting to open up again. Even though RC knew that there was a slim chance that things would go back to the way it used to. Maybe it was for the better. A change could be a good thing for both of them. 

Her Ethics class started the second her professor came in and immediately wrote something on the board. With her notes in front of her, RC’s thoughts went elsewhere. She kept her head down, pretending to write something. And just like that her class ended.

As promised, Rory was leaning on the opposite wall when RC stepped out of the lecture room. She had her head down to her phone, but after RC took a step closer, Rory looked up. The corner of her lips curled up. Rory hastily shoved the phone into her pocket, standing in front of her friend. 

“Coffee first, but don’t tell _Maman_ about this? I swear she practically adopted you right then and there. She’s going to kill me if she finds out what I’m going to do.”

Rory laughed, the kind that was loud and loose, always brought her eyes clenched shut. RC pulled her into the nearest coffee shop from their building. Not really ‘the best’, according to Rory, but with her body almost freezing, RC would take her complaints happily.

“One latte and one hot cocoa, please,” RC said, placing their orders. She glanced at the glass display case. “Uh, and two ham and cheese croissants and also a macaron. Thank you.” She finished off with a smile.

She pulled out a twenty dollar bill and shoved the change to the tip jar. From the corner of her eyes, Rory’s gaze burned through her. 

“You remember,” she said.

“I try.” RC smiled.

With their drinks and croissants, they settled in a booth in one corner. Rory was already gulping down her coffee a second after she sat down. 

Once she put down the mug, Rory said, “Ask me something? I don’t know where to start.”

RC hummed. She racked her brain, trying to find something that wouldn’t be so hard for her friend to answer. She was about to open up, RC didn’t want to send her heading for the hills. “Tell me about you before Dartmouth.” 

A smile creeped up Rory’s face. In that half an hour, RC Cullen learned a lot about her friend than the half semester they knew each other.

She learned that Rory had lived in six different countries by the time she was 7, because her mom had to travel a lot. That she moved to Brooklyn after her sister died and had been living there since. Rory had a large family, some of them lived in New York and the rest scattered around the globe. 

That was why Rory felt so lost when she moved to Dartmouth. She used to have people around her who _truly_ knew her. Being away from them was excruciating and when her uncle passed, she didn’t know how to deal with it.

“You have me, now,” RC said reassuringly, making a hint of blush appeared in Rory’s cheeks. Her friend tried to cover it up with a grin and mostly failed. “And you’ve seen _Maman_. She likes you. In her eyes she already considers you her daughter. If you call her asking for some food, she’ll probably…”

A scent reached her nose and made her trailed off. The smile on Rory’s face disappeared too and her brows knitted together. Her eyes darted to somewhere near the front door.

RC closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“I thought you had class, Ness.”

RC hissed lowly at the name. Rory looked exasperated and RC couldn’t blame her. His footsteps were heavy and loud, stopped right beside their table. 

“I’m on break, Jacob,” RC said, a matter-of-factly. “I think you guys haven't been properly introduced. Jacob, this is my friend, Rory. Rory, this is Jacob.”

“Hey.” Rory held out a hand to Jacob with half a smile. “But, it’s Veronica to you.”

Jacob’s expression was hard, but he took Rory’s hand and shook it. A little too hard, because no matter how hard Rory tried to cover it, the wince was there. “Hey. Do you mind? I need to talk to Ness.”

“Jacob, can’t we do this later? Go find Bella, she’ll take you back to the house.”

“We can, but I prefer we do this now.”

RC had to bite her tongue to stop the growl that was threatening to slip past her mouth. “Jacob, not here. Please.”

“Nessie—”

“Dude, she said she doesn’t want to do this here,” Rory said, cutting him off. “Maybe, I don’t know, listen to her?”

“This doesn’t concern you, Veronica.”

Eyes of the other patrons were starting to fall on the three of them. Things were escalating way too fast and she had to bring it down. Otherwise, it would bring so much trouble for her family. Trouble that RC wasn’t so keen on fixing. 

“Jacob, outside.” RC stood up and grabbed Jacob’s arm. He didn’t budge. His eyes trained on Rory. 

From her seat, Rory raised an eyebrow at Jacob, unimpressed. She just kept staring at him. The whole situation felt like the staring match between Rory and Edward a few days before. 

Rory didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to, because her eyes said it all. 

Jacob broke the contact first, his chest heaving. RC grabbed his arm again and dragged him out of the coffee shop. She didn’t let go until she knew that they were far enough away. 

“What were you thinking?!” she yelled, hoping that the building they’re hiding behind was really empty. 

“You lied, Ness.”

“It’s RC, Jacob. I thought we covered that.” She exhaled a tired breath. “And I didn’t lie. I do have class until six.”

“You can spare a little time for your friend but now for me? You’re my imprint.”

“That doesn’t mean my life revolves around you, Jacob!” RC threw her hands up in frustration. “Can you just listen to me? I can’t just drop everything for you. I have a life outside of you.”

“I dropped everything for you.”

RC scoffed. “You shouldn’t. Jacob, you’re asking me what I can’t give to you.”

“And why is that? Ness, it’s our destiny. It’s profound. You feel that. I know you do.”

Jacob took a step closer to her. She instinctively took one step away. What would it have to take for him to sit down and actually _listen_? That the imprint bond they had was just that. 

He towered over her. His chest shook, in anger and exasperation. At that moment RC was afraid that he’d phase. 

“Ness, please.” Jacob’s hands held on her shoulders, shaking her as he talked. “Let’s just come back to your house. Talk this out. Come on.”

“Jacob, let go.” Her voice strained in exertion. “Jake—”

Jacob’s grip on her disappeared and she fell back. RC heard his body hit the ground hard. She heard a punch, some bone cracking, and a scream. A scream that was too high to be Jacob’s.

“Holy fucking shit!”

Rory was on her knees, bent over, cradling her hand to her chest. Her face shot up after Jacob started to get back up. She kept her right hand on her chest and her left planted on the ground beside her. Rory swung her leg over Jacob’s, knocking him off his feet. 

“Shit, dude, you really don’t know how to take no for an answer, do you?” Rory said between her breath. She groaned as she stood up. “Damn, what are you made out of? Rocks? Holy Mother of Hera, ugh.”

RC shook her head. Rory’s groans of pain tethered her back to reality. She moved to her friend’s side, helping her stand up. 

“Jacob, just go. Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be.”

She led Rory away from Jacob, not caring about how he was. Rory had to be away from him first. 

None of them talked as they walked. Rory’s injured hand pressed tightly against her, but the pain was long gone from her face. It was almost like she was used to it, like how she could rip off her IV without flinching with pain. 

“We should get you to a doctor,” RC suggested. 

While she lived with two medical doctors her whole life, RC had zero clue about first aid. Why would she? Until Dartmouth, her family never really participate in the mundane, human lives around them, aside from work and school. So, there was no need for her to actually do that, because only humans got hurt so easily. 

“No, it’s fine. It’s probably just sprained. I just need to ice it and not to move it.”

RC gave her friend a disapproving glare. “Rory.”

“I’m serious. I just need to get some ice and rest it. If it’s not better in the morning, you can take me to see a doctor,” Rory promised. “I swear to gods, RC, it’s not that big of a deal.”

She pulled both of them to a stop. She had this fervent feeling of need to look at Rory. There was no pain displayed in her eyes, her face. Her brows were furrowed, but not from the ache, that much was clear. Rory’s heartbeat was as steady as it could be. No ragged breath. No sweating. Other than the throbbing hand that RC could _hear_ , nothing was really bothering her friend.

“Okay, fine,” RC said, still unconvinced. 

Once they got back into their dormitory building, they—more like RC—raided the communal kitchen for some ice. Rory found a cooler, no doubt intended for some drinks for some party the other students were so fond of throwing. RC knew for sure the cooler weighed quite a bit for a human, even when it’s empty. Rory though, she had no problem picking it up with one hand.

 _Must be all the weightlifting._

RC put all the ice she could find inside the cooler and both of them went up to Rory’s room. Thankfully, it was empty. From the massive schedule plastered on one wall, Laurel wouldn’t be back until later in the day. 

“Why do you have to have the top bunk?” 

“It was a good idea at the time,” Rory replied, chuckling softly. “Laurel wouldn’t mind us switching for a while.” 

RC helped her take off her shoes and heavy coats, place them gently over the back of the seat. The pants came off next and RC had to fight off the blush that started to creep up her neck. Luckily, Rory didn’t notice and she quickly made herself comfortable under the blankets.

“I’ll be fine, RC, just go. Don’t you have class?”

She stared at Rory skeptically. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’ll call you if something’s wrong.”

RC reluctantly left the room shortly after. Instead of heading to her class, which was about to start in any minute, she lingered in the hallway. She pulled out her phone and opened her contact. 

There was barely half a second before she heard an answer. “Hello?”

“Rose? How soon can you get here?”

“Why? What’s wrong?” RC could hear the worry in her aunt’s voice. “Lily?”

“Jacob’s here,” she said, “and Rory, kinda, err, punch him.”

She heard a rushing in the background and Rosalie’s RS7 roared. “Are you still at school?”

“Yeah. Are we meeting in Brook?”

“Wait in the lot, okay?”

“Okay.”

She disconnected the call and looked around, finding a spot. When she knew no one would see, RC ran.

* * *

It took a normal human being about 20 minutes to walk to Mink Brook Nature Reserve and about the same amount of time to drive from the Cullens’ house to the same place. For RC it took about 15 minutes of running—not at superspeed, because that would be suspicious—and 15 minutes of superfast driving from her aunt.

Rosalie was leaning against her car when RC jogged over. They weren’t exactly dressed for hiking and the weather wasn’t really suitable for it, but they went to the trails instead. When Rosalie was sure they were deep enough, they ran.

The wind hitting her face was a constant she needed. The crunching of the leaves and dirt under her shoes, the rustling from the trees above hid her true nature from the world. 

RC wasn’t the fastest, but she trailed behind Rosalie with no problem. They ended up in the tree, the tallest branches, overlooking the forest. The wind was loud in her ears, but that wasn’t the only thing that was screaming at her. Rosalie sat patiently, staring at the view in front of them.

“Jacob started to talk about the imprinting, how it’s changing both of our lives,” RC started. “He didn’t say it specifically, but it was implied. That we, you know, could.”

“He did something, didn’t he?” Rosalie prompted. “That’s why he left early last time.”

RC gritted her teeth and her eyes started to burn. “It was clear that both of us were getting frustrated. Him, because his words didn’t mean much anymore, and me, because he wouldn’t listen. And he tried to kiss me.”

A growl came deep from Rosalie’s chest. Her lips pulled back in a snarl, gold eyes burned ablaze. “He. Did. What?”

RC gulped down hard before continuing, “This morning, Jacob showed up in my dorm, asking me to spend time with him. He wouldn’t go away until Rory came. He showed up again, like half an hour ago. Rory punched him, I think she broke her hand.” 

When RC turned her head, Rosalie had her eyes closed. Both her hands were clenched in a tight fist. “That hot-headed, thick-skulled wolf,” Rosalie said in a low growl, along with some other curses that RC wouldn’t dare say. 

“Rose, I don’t know how to tell him that I can’t give him what he wants.”

 _Not now, not ever_. But that phrase remained unsaid. 

Jacob was fun to be around when she was little. He was just there. When RC wasn’t with Bella or Rosalie or any other family member, Jacob was there. In fact, she was pretty sure that Jacob was around more than her own father. Jacob literally _watched_ her grow up, in a much shorter time than a typical human, but grew up nonetheless. 

So, it was _weird_ , that several years later, he wanted to have _more_. 

RC didn’t care about how ‘it was just supposed to be’ with the imprint bond. It was weird and creepy, and she didn’t want it. If imprinting was anything that the imprint wanted it to be, why couldn’t Jacob just listen and accept that they couldn’t be anything more than that. A best friend and a brother to her.

 _He should learn that soon before he becomes less than a best friend to me_.

She stayed on the top of the tree for another hour before Rosalie’s phone rang. Rosalie didn’t answer it, she just stared at the screen after hitting the volume down button. 

“Alice?” RC asked.

“Jacob’s probably in the house,” Rosalie replied, pocketing her phone. “We should go, Little Lily.” 

The drive back up to their house was filled with silence, like it usually did when it was just her and Rosalie. But something else was wreaking havoc in RC’s mind. If Jacob and Bella were back already, and Alice kept calling Rosalie, it could only mean one thing. Another family meeting. One she always dreaded. 

RC could hear the stillness before the car even entered the long driveway. Her stomach twisted and she felt like something was creeping up her throat. She jumped slightly when something cold touched her skin. 

Behind the wheel, Rosalie gave her an encouraging smile. Her eyes said it all. _You can do this_.

Everybody was already in the living room when RC entered the house. Sitting still and frozen, except for Jacob. 

“You need to put me in front of an audience so I’d be coerced to agree with you?” RC scoffed. “Bravo, Jacob. Some toxic masculinity you got there.”

Jacob grunted. “They need to know.”

“That I don’t want to be with you like that.”

“Renesmee, Jacob imprinted on you,” Edward stated. 

“A shapeshifter will be anything the imprint needs him to be,” RC fired back. “I don’t need him to be my _boyfriend_.”

Edward growled and dashed to stand in front of her. “Jacob was always there for you. Protected you. Care for you. Now, who is going to love you more than he will?”

 _Rory_.

“I don’t need protecting. I can do that on my own just fine.”

Jacob let out a snigger. A low sinister laugh. “It’s about that girl, isn’t it? Need I remind you that she attacked me?”

“Rory punched your face because you wouldn’t keep your hands off of me!” RC yelled in frustration, earning some surprised gasps and snarls from the room. “You wouldn’t listen. You didn’t respect my choices. You tried to _kiss me_ without _my consent_ , Jacob. From where I’m standing, you deserved that punch and so much worse.” 

She didn’t mean to let that out. She was supposed to tell that privately to her family. Bella and Rose first, then the rest followed. There was something about the atmosphere that Jacob brought to the house that made RC just want to _snap_.

“You did _what_ to my daughter?” Bella’s voice was deadly sharp, laced in venom. RC jumped slightly at that. She never heard her mom use that kind of voice, not even once. Rosalie told her about how furious Bella was after finding out about the imprinting. Seeing her mom’s reaction just then, this was so much worse.

The expression in Jacob’s face changed instantly, but still he had the audacity to justify what he had done. “It’s not like that, Bella. You know that. Renesmee is just confused about her feelings and I can help her if she just opens her eyes and sees.”

“She sees alright, Jacob, because she knows what you did is a violation to her rights.” Bella was standing in front of Jacob, hitting him in the chest with every word that came out of her mouth.

RC wanted to scream, to drill the words right into Jacob’s thick skull. Most definitely Edward’s too. She just felt _enraged_ inside. She took a deep breath, hoping to calm down so she could gather her mind. The calm came too soon for her liking. RC had to be level-headed, so she embraced it. 

She sat on one of the couches, her head in her hands. Breathed in, breathed out. The arguing and the yelling faded into the background. From one intense ringing to a faint rumble. 

“Shut up, all of you,” she said. 

RC opened her eyes to see her mom, Edward and Jacob an inch away from each other, fuming. Emmett was ready to yank Jacob and Edward away. Jasper not far behind him with Carlisle. Alice stood by Esme in the farthest seat. Rosalie was leaning on the wall behind them, looking ready to burn down the house if that meant Jacob would be going down with it.

“Jacob, you’re walking on thin ice here,” RC reminded him. 

“Renesmee, listen to yourself,” Edward said. “You can’t deny it. You are Jacob’s. Your destiny entwined with his.”

“RC is not some property that someone can own, Edward,” Rosalie remarked. She sounded so drained, like she had this conversation time and again. Knowing Edward, maybe she had. 

“I have read some legends from your tribe, Jacob,” Carlisle put forth. “You may have to correct me if I’m mistaken, but imprints _can_ turn down the imprinting bond.”

“It’s highly unlikely,” Jacob spit back.

“Jacob, I’m not rejecting it. I just don’t see you as a soulmate. I don’t have _romantic feelings_ for you. The sooner you can accept that, the higher chance you get to stay in my life.” RC stood up and tried to ignore the stares she got from her family and Jacob. “I’m done, Jacob. I’m done and I’m tired. Come find me after you grow a brain.”

RC ignored all the calls and pleas from the house. The sky was still bright, as bright as it could be in Hanover. She could make it back to campus, went to class. Maybe she could try to put the catastrophe that just happened in the back of her mind. 

There was some other screaming from inside the house. Bella and Edward were fighting, Jacob chiming in. Even with Jasper in there, RC didn’t think that the fight would end in a compromise anytime soon.

Emmett dashed to Rosalie’s car and opened the passenger door. He turned to RC and bowed like a royal chauffeur. “My Lady.”

RC stared at him in bewilderment. “Rose lets you drive?”

“He wished.” Rosalie appeared at her side, one arm around RC’s shoulder. She kissed her temple before saying, “Let’s go for a ride.”

The three of them drove around aimlessly for hours. The sun already disappeared, the sky blackened. Rosalie set the radio to a pop station, even though pop music wasn’t really her thing. RC appreciated that. 

“RC, I have to ask. How long had Jacob been like this?” Emmett moved in the back seat so his head popped in between the two seats in the front. 

“A while.” 

Rosalie’s grip around the steering wheel tightened and a growl came out deep from her chest. She slammed into the gas pedal, pushing one-twenty, one-forty. Everything they passed blurred in an instant, like a movie in fast forward. RC remembered the first time she got into a car with Rosalie. It was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. 

As she grew up, the drives were no longer frightening—just exciting. 

“I need to beat some senses into that wolf,” Rosalie commented, her eyes closed. It should make anyone nervous, having someone drive the car with their eyes close, but RC trusted her aunt. 

“Please, don’t kill him,” RC said. “That’s just asking for war and I don’t want that. I just want Jacob to stop expecting things I can’t give him.”

“And you want Rory.”

RC hit Emmett in the head half a second after that sentence left his mouth. Emmett laughed hard as he fell back to the seat. 

“I don’t know if I can.”

“Sure, you can,” Emmett said. “You’re not in any romantic relationship with Jacob. That’s not cheating. Besides, I’ve seen the two of you together, RC.”

“She’s human, Emmett. You remember the last time that happened. Rose and Jasper were deadass planning to kill _my mom_.”

Rosalie cleared her throat. “Some major changes are needed if you choose her, Little Lily.”

“We can make changes,” Emmett replied nonchalantly. “The thing they were talking about, the destiny stuff. Maybe yours is in her, RC, you never know.”

RC just hummed in response. Destiny. What even was that? She wasn’t sure anymore. []

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so.. This is the last chapter I'm going to be updating before school started again on Monday, 6th semester of uni is going to be crazy lol wish me luck. Anyway, I hope assignments and papers and labs won't get in the way too much so I still can work on this little story, which is getting bigger and bigger, this is exciting! 
> 
> So, this chapter we got some fights in, some more Bella with a backbone, RC finally telling Rose about what Jacob did, some more moments with Emmett. Yeah, anyway, let me know what you think.


	5. Run Away to Me

She was never one to run, normally. Took a step back to think? Sure, but never run. Jacob Black made her break that streak.

While Jacob stayed in the house, catching up with Bella, RC took sanctuary in her dorm room. She helped Rory get a doctor to check up on her hand. If she was being honest, RC was rather nervous. Doctors tended to ask what happened and they called the police or social workers. Those kinds of situations rarely align with her favor. 

“I punched a guy who was harassing this girl. I’ve seen her a few times around my building, but I don’t know her,” Rory answered the doctor without missing a beat. He had just fixed the dislocated bones and put a splint over her wrist, leaving her bruised knuckles visible. 

RC would say Rory’s lie wasn’t all that surprising, but then, she would be the liar. RC didn’t ask her to cover up what happened. They didn’t even talk about what to say when someone asked, but Rory covered for her. _Voluntarily_. She did that effortlessly too. It made RC think if her friend had thought about making some elaborate lie or she just came up with it on the spot. 

The next few days she spent away from her house, and with that, away from Jacob. RC was attached to Rory’s side. With her right hand in recovery, Rory would need a lot of help, wouldn’t she? Apparently, not really.

Within the next few hours after leaving the hospital, RC found out that Rory could manage just _fine_. Couldn’t drive? Called an Uber. Couldn’t type her papers? Used speech-to-text feature. Couldn’t write? It turned out, Rory was ambidextrous. 

“All the magic of the 21st century, baby,” Rory said with a wide smile as RC tried to cover the fact that she _might_ like it when Rory called her with pet names or something. 

For someone who had a problem settling into a college life, Rory was doing a pretty good job at it. But still, RC made it an excuse to stay with her friend longer. 

Rory didn’t know about RC and everything that came with her family. She didn’t know about how vampires didn’t burn under the sunlight or how shape shifters’ bodies were almost rock solid. She didn’t know that Jacob couldn’t physically hurt RC, but she still _punched_ him and almost broke her arm because of it. All of that just because she knew that Jacob was bothering her friend. 

Sometimes, RC thought that Rory was too good for the world. All the people she had lost, all the trials and tribulation she went through. RC knew there were so many more things that Rory hadn’t told her yet. She didn’t have to, because it was written in her eyes, in how she carried herself. Rory deserved the world and so much more. And that scared RC to death.

When Friday rolled around, RC wasn’t sure if she wanted to go home. She missed her family, but she didn’t want to see Jacob anytime soon. And she still didn’t want to leave Rory on her own. Sure, the girl had Laurel but still. 

“You can’t run away forever, you know?”

RC let out a chuckle, stirring her tea. “I’m not running.”

“Uh-huh,” Rory replied, one of her brows was arched. “It’s 2 PM on a Friday. Bella is nowhere to be found and you’re not telling me about your weekend plans with your sisters. Instead, you’re here with me, in a coffee shop you don’t really like because it’s far from our dorm. You’re running, RC. Is it about the Jacob thing?”

Yes, she told Rory about Jacob. No, she didn’t tell everything about him. Just that he was a family friend, they grew up together and Jacob confessed his feelings for RC. That complicated a lot of things, especially when the guy was staying over at her family’s house.

“I told him the other day that I’m not interested. He had a hard time processing that.” RC shrugged as she tilted her head. “His problem.”

Rory hummed before she took a sip of her coffee, her eyes stared right into RC’s. “Not interested? In dating or just him?”

“Just him.”

She didn’t miss how the corner of Rory’s mouth curled up a little. Her gaze went down as her smile got bigger. “Damn, poor guy. Now I feel like I should’ve punched him more.”

“And you would get more injuries.”

“Nah. It’s worth it,” Rory said as she waved around her right hand. 

The words would melt her heart if that was even possible. RC had to fight the blush from creeping up her cheeks. From how warmer she was getting, she was pretty sure she did a terrible job. 

Rory reached across the table to RC’s hand around her cup. The gesture managed to bring RC’s attention back to her friend. Rory pointed to her splint and said, “This is not the worst, you know?”

“I still don’t buy that you have a high pain tolerance.”

Rory threw her an _‘are you serious’_ look. “Tell you what. We’re going to your house tonight. You’ll settle any loose end with Jacob and while we’re there and if your dad isn’t busy, you can have him to check up on my hand.”

She wasn’t playing fair and she knew it. Since Rory learned that RC always went back home on Fridays, Rory never made any plans for the two of them that required RC to remain on campus all weekend. RC even tried to invite Rory to her house over the weekend, but no success came out from that.

 _“You’ve seen me five days of the week, RC. Go home and spend some time with your family while you still can.”_ Those words echoed in her head days after Rory said it.

RC huffed before leaning back into her seat. Rory had the audacity to look so innocent. She had a fist under her chin, with a smile so enchanting. Her right hand was on the table with her middle finger tapping away.

“You suck,” RC said, narrowing her eyes.

“You like me.”

 _I do_.

RC groaned and put her head on the table while Rory laughed at her antics, thinking that she had won. Well, it was safe to say it wasn’t the end until it was over.

She wasn’t sure what happened, or how she did it, but she and Rory ended up staying on campus that night. More like, Rory was sleeping over at the room one floor down from her own. 

Yeah, RC wasn’t sure how they got there.

By 11 PM, Rory was already fast asleep on the tiny bed. Her back was facing the wall and her head leaned slightly on RC’s right shoulder. She could feel Rory’s slow, steady breathing on her arm. The laptop was on RC’s stomach, playing their second Disney classic of the night. 

Rory had a point. RC knew she couldn’t avoid the problem at hand forever. Eventually, she had to clear things up with Jacob for the millionth time. What would it have to take for that _boy_ to realize that they couldn’t be something more than friends? Siblings at most. 

When RC was told about the imprinting, she had no problem because Jacob was a solid decent guy back then. He was protective but not overbearing. He was always there but not controlling. She was a kid, in a teenager’s body, but a kid nonetheless, so his reactions and behaviors were reasonable. 

Then she turned seven, with a body of a nineteen years old. RC noticed the subtle changes in Jacob’s whole demeanor. He wasn’t looking at her like he looked at Bella or Leah. It was clear he wanted _more_. What more important was the fact that _she was seven years old_ and Jacob was freaking her out.

Jacob was great and all but RC was not that crazy for him. She didn’t say anything at first because she thought it’d pass or something would change. Nope. It got a whole lot complicated, especially when they had to constantly move around. 

RC heard the stories, read the legends. Shape shifters had an urge to be close with their imprint, so it made sense when Jacob practically attached to her hip. That was exactly the problem. It was like a way the universe told them to be together and the two people had no control over it. That wasn’t really fair. To be frank, she still thought it was stupid, but mostly unfair.

She didn’t want to hurt Jacob. She hated doing it. Then he started to act all crazy and possessive and RC _was glad_ to hurt him. It was oh so delightful when her _human friend_ managed to land a solid punch on his face and handed his ass to him. Still, it didn't make him anymore smarter with the whole situation. 

_Ugh, men_.

RC let out a sigh as she rubbed her face. _I really need to figure out a way to make him accept reality._

She hit pause on her laptop and Rory instantly stirred. Her brows knitted together and RC saw how her eyes moved around while closed. Not wanting her friend to wake up, RC resumed the film and set the volume down a little. Rory exhaled a deep breath, eyes still closed, breaths evened out. 

_Background noises help her sleep_.

Trying not to wake Rory up, RC carefully got out of bed. She put her laptop on her chair and placed it beside her bed so Rory could have more space. After making sure the auto play was on, RC grabbed a coat and left the room.

The wind was blowing hard when RC settled on the roof. She could feel the crisp air, the kind of chill she was supposed to feel to the bones. Her nose was supposed to hurt when she breathed, her fingers were supposed to stiffen. A few of the perks of having a higher body temperature. 

It was quiet, Hanover always was. She picked up some burble from the Connecticut River, the faint rumble and honks from the nearby highway in Vermont. The silence usually helped her think, but not that night. 

“Do you mind some company?”

RC sighed and shook her head. She heard a subtle gust of wind, not loud enough to be heard by normal people. 

“Jacob left earlier tonight. I told him to come back after he learns to respect your decisions. He and Edward are having a hard time with that.”

“Of course they do,” RC commented, scoffing. 

“You know, after you left the other day, it started to come to me that Edward was never really understanding. Not to me, or to you—his own daughter,” Bella said before chuckling slightly. "I can't believe it took me this long. The more I think about it, the more I realize how controlling he was—he is."

RC turned to face her mother. Unlike her, Bella just wore a simple jacket over a turtleneck. There was no sign of discomfort in her demeanor, just contempt and anger. 

“Maybe you did realize. You just sweep it under the rug every time because you don’t want it to be true,” RC guessed, “because if you acknowledge it, then it will get real, then he won’t like it, won’t approve.”

“I’ve learned that I don’t need his approval to do anything.” Bella bumped her shoulder to RC’s. “You taught me that.”

Her brows furrowed together. “Me? How? When?”

RC didn’t understand how she taught her mom about, well, anything. Sure, she made it crystal clear that she didn’t like Edward. How he acted and how he handled things. Growing up, she couldn’t remember _one time_ Edward was there. To do anything. None. _Nada_. 

Bedtime stories? Her mom, sometimes Rosalie. Homework? It was always Esme. Bella was smart, but her method of teaching was… Yeah, Esme was the best at that. Learning music? Rosalie, not Edward, the family pianist. Self-defense training? Rosalie would teach a few moves and RC would have Emmett for practice, with Jasper providing some pointers. Dress up? It was always Alice and Rosalie.

No Edward in sight. So, how was it that RC managed to teach something to her mom?

“You do something because you want to, not because he told you to,” Bella started. “You don’t let him push you around, stand up for yourself. I know you don’t get that from me because I could never.” Bella hugged her knees close to her chest, staring at the lights below. “Then you met Veronica, told us about the things she does. How considerate she is, how she doesn’t force you to do anything, say anything. I don’t think Edward ever did that. No, I _know_ he never did that.”

“Do you think you can change him? Back then when you were still human.”

Bella scoffed at the words. “I think a part of me did. He had somewhat good intentions and a messed up way of doing this. As time passed, he had every chance to change, and yet, he didn’t do that. So, I don’t know. All I do know is that I don’t want to be someone beneath him.”

None of them said anything after that, letting the silence fall over them once more. RC scooted over and laid her head on her mom’s shoulder. Bella moved her head over RC’s. 

“You’re not beneath him.”

“But I do feel like that, as his mate.” 

“If he makes you feel like that, maybe he’s not your mate.” RC shrugged. “He doesn’t deserve you. He doesn’t deserve any of us.”

RC felt her mom stiffened at her words. Should she feel guilty, for saying that there was a chance Edward wasn’t her mom’s mate? Considering how awful he treated her? Sure, her mom had flaws, she wasn’t perfect, but Bella did not deserve to be belittled and underappreciated by someone who _vowed_ to love and care for her. Her husband. Her _mate_ , no less. RC was starting to think that Edward had no idea what a mate really meant. 

“Sometimes, I like to imagine what if we just leave. The two of us, with Rose,” RC said softly. “You both practically raised me already.”

“In another life, Ren,” Bella murmured to her hair, caressing it gently. RC eyes were getting heavier with every stroke from her mom’s hand. With the soft wind picking up, and her mom’s touch, RC fell asleep.

* * *

Jacob Black didn’t make contact with her for several days. Those days turned to a week, then two. RC took that as a good thing. She just hoped that he was doing some _thinking_ , instead of looking for other ways to coerce her to his side. 

RC had been going back home more often too, spending more time with her family sans Edward. While none of her family blamed her for not telling about what Jacob did, she still felt guilty. Everyone was just mad and disappointed. At Jacob, not RC. 

Bella and Rosalie were especially outraged. Rosalie was even ready to start a war with the Quileute wolves for what Jacob had done. Even though RC had no problem with her aunt rampaging, she knew it wouldn’t be the best way, no matter how much Jacob deserved it. 

“I am hurt and furious,” Rosalie admitted, “about the fact that people still have these _behaviors_ today. After almost a century, I thought people would change. I suppose I put too much faith in humanity.”

RC decided to stay over at Rosalie’s place after that confession from her aunt. Rosalie was still in the bathroom doing… something. She wasn’t sure why her aunt wanted to do all that routine when her skin was basically flawless, but hey, RC valued her life so she would forever keep her mouth shut.

The bedroom in Rosalie’s house was the only bedroom with a bed that looked lived in, besides RC’s herself. She wasn’t sure what the bed was made of but it was always so soft and comfortable. Laying on it was like laying on a marshmallow. Rosalie said that it made her feel like she was actually sleeping and not just deeply meditating. 

As she waited, RC threw herself into the bed and started playing with her phone. Emmett got into the room, grabbed something from one of the many drawers they had in the room. He usually left RC and Rosalie to do their thing, letting his ‘two girls’ enjoy some quality time together. That night, Emmett decided to keep himself in the entertainment room, or what he liked to call it, Em’s Space. 

“Get it? Em’s Space?” Emmett said with a wide grin on his face. He kept nodding and repeating the word like it would make RC understand it any better. He whined when she still didn’t get it after a while. “Seriously? How is it possible that you don’t know MySpace? That’s one of the most popular websites in the early 2000.”

“Oh, now I get it,” RC said, clicking her tongue. “That was the Stone Age, of course you would know about—hey!”

RC rolled over to miss the pillow Emmett threw at her, only to miscalculate and fall off the bed, landed flat on her ass. Emmett broke out in a laugh so hard he fell to his knees. The sound of it roared through the air. 

Rosalie appeared in the doorway a few seconds after. She was wearing button up pajamas under a silk robe, like another human ready for bed, but she was still fashion runway ready. Her eyes scanned the room in barely a millisecond, from Emmett near her feet, to the pillow that didn’t necessarily match the bed sheets, and her niece on the floor.

“Stop throwing stuff around, Emmett.”

“Hey, what about me?” RC whined, still not moving from the floor. “I’m dying over here.”

Rosalie sighed, shaking her head. “And here I thought _I_ was theatrical.” 

“Where do you think I got that from?” She heard steps come closer and Rosalie stood directly above her and effortlessly picked her up. They sat on the bed with RC on her aunt’s lap as Rosalie leaned on the headboard. Emmett was nowhere to be found. 

“To answer your question, I’m not letting you die tonight,” Rosalie murmured as RC settled deeper in her embrace. “I’m not letting you die anytime soon.”

And of course she wouldn’t, RC knew that.

The three of them went back to Esme’s house the next day for breakfast. Edward was nowhere to be found and RC decided it was a really good morning. Esme was the only one home when RC, Rosalie, and Emmett got there. 

RC’s growling stomach urged her and Esme to go straight for the kitchen. As they prepared the utensils and ingredients for their special waffles, RC couldn’t help but snack on the leftover Greek yogurt from the fridge. Esme gave her a look when she realized.

“I can’t help it, I’m hungry, Ma.”

Esme smiled and placed a kiss on RC’s temple. “My sweet little RC.”

The unconditional love Esme had for her, and for the rest of the family was always a blessing. She was pretty sure that Esme was incapable of feeling angry, but she had seen a disappointed Esme. It was so much worse. So, RC never knew how to tell her about things that she _knew_ will end with disappointment in Esme’s eyes.

“ _Maman_?” RC muttered before clearing her throat. “Are you angry that I didn’t tell you about Jacob?”

“Yes, but not at you. I’m angry at myself for not noticing.” Esme had her back to RC and her head was down. 

RC stood awkwardly across the room. The only sound she could hear was her own heartbeat and the fire from the stove, heating the butter for her bacon. 

Nobody in the family really ever told her about their human lives. RC had a guess on the reasons. Part of it was because it was so long ago, they faded and blurred. Part of it was because it was too traumatic to tell. They didn’t have to tell her on the specific, but she could take a guess on the obvious. 

The most apparent ones were Rosalie’s and Esme’s. What happened in their human lives was carried over to their vampire ones. Rosalie taught her how to defend herself just in case _‘someone comes up to you and tries to do something_ ’, because usually men plus drinks plus drunk equals harassment. RC figured out what happened when she was three years old and Rosalie sobbed in front of her. Rosalie never did that.

Esme cared for her and everyone else. For goodness sake, she put up with Edward since 1920 or something. She tended on everyone’s needs without questions, and always taught RC to be good. Although sometimes RC felt that it was just who Esme was, she couldn’t stop thinking of what _made_ her like that. It wasn’t until she learned about Edward’s first kill that she knew what happened to Esme. 

So, of course Esme could see the tiniest detail about a girl with a jackass of a man in her life. 

RC walked over to Esme and gave her a hug. She tried to keep her tears at bay, but her eyes were burning. “It’s not your fault.”

“Thank you, honey.”

RC took a deep breath and frowned. “Ma, I love you, but I think you’re about to burn my breakfast.”

“No, I am not.” Esme dashed to the stove and around the kitchen at vampire speed. 

The rest of the morning was spent in the kitchen. After eating her not-burnt breakfast, RC made some cookies and muffins with Esme’s help. Per usual, they made enough food to feed the local shelter. 

RC tried to sneak a few batch of cookies to give to Rory the next day, but she knew she failed. Of course Esme realized, but RC was thankful that she didn’t get teased to death for it. 

“You know, RC, I think you are brave,” Esme said as she started to put some cookies in boxes. “What Jacob did, there is no excuse to make it alright. Whatever the outcome of this, tribulation, I hope you know that I will support you no matter what.”

She learned from a young age, like young, young age, that everyone in the family except Rosalie, didn’t really have the guts to tell the hard truth. They often also danced around a problem before getting to the point. Years of that made RC learn how to read between the lines. Just because they could live longer than most people, didn’t mean that they could take their sweet time for everything.

“We’re talking about what Jacob said about Rory, aren’t we?” RC guessed. “Well, she’s not sorry for punching him and gladly will do that again. Even though she dislocated her wrist the first time.”

“Oh, that poor child.” Esme shook her head. “But, no, I am not referring to that. I am talking about Rory and your apparent feelings for her.”

RC groaned and dropped her head on the table. “Of course you know.”

Esme let out a small laugh as she walked over to RC. “You’re not making it hard to guess, honey. I take it you haven’t told your father?”

“Why do I have to? He’s going to figure it out soon like everybody else.” RC raised her head. “Rory is also human. While I don’t particularly care about that part, it _will_ bring some complications. Like, I have to tell her about us eventually and if the Volturi finds out, that will be another kind of problem. I’m already dealing with the imprinting thing with Jacob, _Maman_ , but I feel like there’s another thing that’s waiting for me after I deal with this one.”

“Life will do that to you no matter what, RC.”

Living forever also meant an increase of trials and tribulations along the way. Immortality had some perks of course, but it had to be a choice first. If she chose Rory and it didn’t work out because Rory didn’t want to be a vampire, what then? RC couldn’t force her to change. And what if these feelings she had for Rory were only temporarily. Just a mere curiosity.

Rory would end up in a rabbit hole that RC dug up. She didn’t want that.

“Hey, now, honey. Instead of thinking about the bad things that _could_ happen, why don’t you focus on the good things?”

“Like what?”

“Well, call me a traditional woman, but have you asked her out on a date?”

RC felt blood rushing up to her neck and cheeks. Her mouth hung open and no words came out. Esme chuckled before planting a kiss on her head. She returned to her cookies and muffins, stacking the boxes that were ready to be taken to the shelters. 

“There is nothing wrong with taking Rory out on a date, RC. Don’t think about what anyone thinks. Just you,” Esme suggested. “Do something simple, a picnic or go to the arcade. I don’t even mind if you want to take her back here. We can bake something together.”

“Edward won’t like that.”

“Don’t worry about Edward. He just has a hard time adjusting.”

“To what? Things not going the way he wants it to?” RC scoffed. 

Esme smiled sadly and RC’s heart almost broke. 

The two of them continued the cookie packing in silence. The occasional bickering and clanking could be heard from the garage. Emmett kept cracking jokes at Rosalie. Some earned him a laugh, and most of them ended up with him yelping. It felt like a simple situation with them and RC couldn’t help but wanting that too. But when was it that she had anything easy?

Sighing, RC distracted herself by going with Esme to drop off the boxes around town. Putting things on hold wouldn’t magically fix them, but she sure would keep doing it if that meant RC could have time to actually _breathe_. []

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I survived the first week. Not sure about the remaining 17, including mid-terms and finals. Anyway, this update comes someone on schedule due to the fact that labs hasn't taken over my life. The rest of it, we shall see.  
> We got some moments with Bella and she finally, finally, starts to realize how much of a jackass her husband is. Thank you once again to my buddy Tofu9162 who helped me with this. Let me know what you think about this one?
> 
> x


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